We're pretty sure we want to bank our baby's cord blood. Any BTDT moms who have already done this? Who is the best? Who should we go with? Any links or advice would be helpful. TIA!

Hello,
My DH and I decided to bank our baby's cord blood. Even though he is not due until December we registered ahead with CBR. They recommend you register in your second trimester, to avoid any delays. We did a lot of research on cord blood banking and on the companies that do it. You have to think when you choose a company about their finical stability. You do not want to pay all this money and your company, goes bankrupt. Also another thing to think about is where do they store it? You should think about natural disasters, what if's should be considered. CBR stores theirs in Arizona, where as most companies store theirs on the east coast. Then you need to consider the technique they use to collect it. What if you need to use some of it, will it all be used or will some still be accessible. With CBR it will. Some companies store them in tubes, some in vacuum sealed bags. Last thing I think even one should consider is the accessibly to your specimen should you need it, after all that is why you stored it, right?

www.cordblood.com

What is the difference between private cord blood banking and public cord blood banking? What is the difference between private cord blood banking and public cord blood banking?

Private banking is expensive. The blood is banked, you pay for it, and it stays there as long as you want to keep paying for it or until you need it.

Public donating is free for you, but you may have to do some leg work. The unit goes into a public bank that is serachable world wide for patients needing it. When it is needed, it gets used. The unit will NOT be there for you, but there will be other units there if you need cord blood.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of umbilical cord blood banking? What are the advantages and disadvantages of umbilical cord blood banking?

Big advantage- Cancer, if the child or family member gets cancer, the stem cells in the umbillical cord can be used to treat it.

Big Disadvantage- Cost, It costs a lot of money to bank cord blood.

Good Luck