I’ve been meaning to blog about this for a while now because it is something that was really important to me and Kevin when we were waiting to bring little Molly into this world. I want to talk about cord blood banking. When I was pregnant, I was full of so much anticipation and excitement. But on the other hand, I was also filled with so many worries. Would there be any complications? Would Molly be born healthy? That’s when I started reading about and researching cord blood banking.
Cord blood banking is basically the process of taking the stem cell blood out of your baby’s umbilical cord right after they are born. I’m no doctor (obvi) but your child’s cord blood stem cells are basically super cells that can be used to treat a variety of diseases like leukemia and sickle cell disease. And while I truly hope I never have to use Molly’s cord blood, I am so grateful that we have it.
Kevin and I decided to use Pacificord to store Molly’s blood for a number of reasons, but especially because of the personal customer service. When we called them they walked us through the entire process and educated us on every detail. They truly care and we could feel that over the phone. Plus, we were blown away that they invite every customer to come to their facility to take a tour and learn about the process. On top of that, they give you a personal contact that you can call anytime to answer all of your questions. So when I went into labor, Kevin just had to call our contact to let her know and within hours she was at the hospital to pick up Molly’s cord blood. In fact, their customer service is SO good, that I recommended them to my girlfriend Ashley Jones (see her incredible blog post about it HERE) and she emailed them to ENROLL while in labor on the way to the hospital and they set her up right away. Which means they sent someone to the hospital within hours with the cord blood collection kit and simple paperwork to enroll. Now THAT is incredible customer service.
I guess what I love so much about Pacificord opposed to all the other options, is that we weren’t just a number to them. They know us. They SHOWED UP at the hospital to get the blood rather than shipping it off somewhere to someone we’ve never met. We know exactly where Molly’s cord blood is being stored and we have a personal contact to reach out to should she ever be faced with an illness that requires her to use it. I can only imagine how difficult a time that must be for parents, so having the personal customer service then is even more crucial. They are local to Southern California so reach out to them if you live in the area.
Anyway, I just wanted to share this with you guys because it something that I am so grateful we did. That said, I realize cord blood banking is an investment and hard for many people to afford with all the other costs that come along when having a baby. That’s why I’ve asked the company for a discount for my followers. I am so excited and grateful that Pacificord is offering $200 off for my followers who use the code MOLLY when enrolling. I feel the decision to bank your child’s cord blood is an easy one, but not always financially easy to make happen. I hope this discount makes the decision a little easier for some of you.
I think this question is more for the company to explain, but from what I understand if Molly would need the stem cells (which hopefully is not the case) she would not be able to use the stem cells that you banked since they are her own. Her stem cells would only be able to help future siblings if they match. Maybe this is incorrect and hopefully the company can provide more information but I also think it is important your readers fully understand the service. We donated both of our children’s cord blood and it was very fulfilling to know that the donation will possibly save other children’s lives.
Molly’s stem cells can be used to help herself if ever needed. It’s her own cells so the body recognizes them as her own
Emerging treatments sometimes can use one’s own cord blood, however most often cord blood is used to treat a sibling/relative who is a match. This is because if it is something genetic that has caused the condition that requires stem cells, your own stem cells will have that condition as well.
It is an extremely personal choice and an expensive insurance policy that, if you need, you will be happy you have. If you can’t afford it, I would strongly recommend public cord blood donation. It is free and will ensure that the cord blood is used for someone who need is now. The more people who donate cord blood, the more likely public cord blood will be available should you ever need it.
That is correct! We did cord blood banking with our daughter as well so I did a ton of research because it’s not a cheap process.
You pay initially as well as pay yearly to store. Siblings as well as cousins and close family relatives could use your child’s stem cells to treat. So all of my siblings have used cord blood. Ali, maybe clarify that to readers. It’s an important factor. Nonetheless, I support the cause as well as encourage it 🙂
So awesome of you to share how you want to protect your babies health and life
Cord blood banking amazing and continuously progressing… both in diseases effectively treated and new clinical trials to explore future use for cord blood banking, including Autism and CP!!! Cord blood from your baby CAN be used for your own baby. It’s called an autologous donation. While the majority of proven treated diseases require cord blood from a match (siblings are the best bet) there are some cancers and conditions that require your own cord blood cells. I banked my son’s and then my identical twin girls (they’re 100% match for each other and 75% likely to match my son! It’s not cheap but if you consider the monthly breakdown it’s compatible to a long term gym membership! Also a great gift from grandparents that can/want to help.
That is good to know! It sounds like a lot has changed since I had my son and cord banking was explained by my OB.
I do still believe it is important for everyone reading this post to know if it is something that they can not afford at this time that they should look into donating the cord blood (if their hospital participates in this program).
Just a quick question… Do you cut the cord immediately to be able to band the cord blood or can you wait for it to stop pulsing and then cut the cord?
Great post Ali!
Duke University just concluded the first phase of their cord blood autism trial and the results look promising.
The children were treated intravenously with their own (autologous) cord blood. All of the cord blood units were retrieved from private cord blood banks, except for one that came from a public cord blood bank. The one from a public cord blood bank is unusual, as there is no guarantee that a patient can ever retrieve the same (autologous) cord blood units that they donated to a public cord blood bank.
The researchers found significant improvements within the first 6 months following treatment. The improvements were also sustained at 12 months post treatment.
You can read more if you are interested in my post: https://cordbloodbankingfaq.org/2017/04/25/cord-blood-autism-trial-results-look-promising/
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