Did you know you can donate cord blood?

My friend told me about this site - www.lifeforcecryobanks.com

You can donate your cord blood! You have to fill out a quick survey online, and print their really long questionaire, but I think it is totally worth it! There is even a chance you could get the cord blood back if you need it for your child in the future. It is totally free, and you coul help save someone's life!

If you are before 34 weeks you are elligible. Your doctor or midwife has to sign a couple of forms - but that is it and it is pretty easy. The company will send a medical courier after you deliver.

Just thought you might want to know about this! My doctor was really excited about it - he had never heard of public donation of cord blood!

 

i'm not sure how it works in the States but i know in Canada public donation is a bit tricky because they will only accept donations from births on certain days at certain times (for example monday - thursday between 9:00am - 5:00pm). but i definitely think it's a great idea if you don't plan on delaying cord clamping.

 

I knew you could do it, but i asked my doctor when i was pregnant with the twins and she said you can do no such thing here in Canada. To be honest i find it a real shame, i mean, it should nearly be automatically done, with every birth by the hospitals. This blood can save lives, if there was a constant supply of it, everyone that ever needed it would benefit. I find it so bizarre that it is just discarded. And i know there are costs involved in storing it, but wouldn't they be outweighed by the benefits it would provide? I think it would be a great investment for helthcare systems.

 

i wonder if it's a provincial thing because we have both public & private cord blood banks in Alberta. :unknw:

 

I got really excited when I saw this and contacted them. I was told they won't take cord blood from twins due to some sort of regulations. My friend's friend has a little boy who is very sick with a rare blood disorder. I don't remember the name but I know he was going to see specialists recently about it. I got in touch with her to let her know that I was having twins and if the doctors thought the cord blood would help it was available for them because I can't donate it and I can't afford to store it.