This post is sponsored by Cord Blood Registry®, CBR®. All opinions are my own.
You’re about to be a parent to that cute little bundle of joy whose about to be your number one responsibility. There are so many things to do, so many things to research and you may be slightly overwhelmed. I get it, I really do. And if you made it here, you’re probably curious about Cord Blood Banking? I never really heard much about it when I had my first, otherwise, I probably would have opted to do it. Now that I am pregnant for the third time, I most likely will since there are so many potential benefits and it would bring me peace of mind.
What exactly is cord blood banking?
Cord blood banking is the process of collecting and storing your baby’s umbilical cord blood stem cells for potential medical use. You can either donate it to a public bank where your baby’s cord blood is available for anyone who may need it. Or, you can use a family bank like Cord Blood Registry (CBR), where you can preserve your baby’s stem cells for potential future family use. Cord blood collection is a painless procedure for mother and baby since it only involves extracting the blood from the umbilical cord once it has been clamped and cut.
You can learn more about how the process works here:
About Newborn Stem Cells:
- Preserving your newborn’s stem cells may give your child or an immediate family member, depending on the condition and other factors, the opportunity to use this resource for current cord blood therapies. As well as potential future applications, like regenerative medicine.
- Today, many conditions may be treatable with cord blood as a part of a stem cell transplant, including various cancers and blood, immune and metabolic disorders.*
One question that popped into my head… would I be able to do both delay cord clamping and cord blood banking since they need the blood from the umbilical cord? The answer is yes. You can learn more about doing both here.
I am opting to do both this time in my birthing plan since they didn’t do it with my first. Just think, all of the stem cell wasted in the cord blood that could have gone to the baby, research, or cord blood banking at a later date when needed.
Which company can I trust?
The one cord blood bank that stands out to me right now is CBR. They funded a recent study conducted by researchers at Sutter Medical Center. The study showed that the use of a child’s own cord blood was safe for children with autism. More research is needed to understand if cord blood may help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Click here to learn more about the study or watch this video. You can also learn more on CBR’s blog: https://blog.cordblood.com/2018/02/research-treating-autism-with-cord-blood/
About CBR:
Every family has access to CBR’s team of Certified Genetic Counselors, who can discuss your family’s medical history as it relates to newborn stem cells, and educate you on your options to preserve them for your family’s future.
CBR believes passionately in the power of healthy families. They have many options to make it affordable for families, including payment plans or a gift registry option where friends and family can contribute toward the cost of preserving newborn stem cells. They also have the Newborn Possibilities Program® which assists families with a qualifying medical need by covering all costs for preserving their child’s newborn stem cells and storing them for 5 years.
CBR is helping advance stem cell research by partnering with reputable research institutions on FDA-regulated clinical trials, like the one I already spoke about. They’re helping to fund clinical trials to investigate the potential for newborn stem cells to treat conditions that currently have no cure
How to Get Set up with CBR:
There are 5 simple steps:
- Enroll with CBR online at cordblood.com/enroll or call 1-888-240-1996
- CBR ships you a collection kit
- Bring your kit to the hospital on your big day
- Call the medical courier after your baby is born and the cord blood has been collected by your healthcare professional
- Relax. CBR handles the rest and will notify you when the kit has been received.
*https://blog.cordblood.com/2018/02/research-treating-autism-with-cord-blood/
If you decide to bank your cord blood, be sure to let your doctor know as soon as possible so that they are aware and can be prepared when the time comes.
