Saving baby's Cord Blood

Recently Tom and I decided to save our baby's cord blood. Are you familiar with saving cord blood and the benefits of the stem cells? Let me help you with some information.


Why Bank?

1. Protect your family. Your baby's umbilical cord blood is rich in lifesaving stem cells that could protect your baby or other family members.


2. Treat nearly 70 diseases, including leukemia, other cancers, and blood disorders


3. Benefit from emerging treatments. Doctors are developing stem cell treatments for heart disease, juvenile diabetes, brain injury, and more


4. Secure the best treatment option with your own family's cord blood. Having access to your own family's cord blood has been shown to significantly improve outcomes compared to using cord blood from an unrelated donor.


5. Take advantage of your one chance at birth. Having access to your own family's cord blood has been shown to significantly improve outcomes compared to using cord blood from an unrelated donor.

So as you can see the benefits are life-saving. For us, personally, the fact that Tom was diagnosed at age 32 with Melanoma skin cancer, saving our baby's cord blood is a HUGE deal. You just never know what life will through at you, and by saving this cord blood, it gives us a huge safety net. For example, WHAT IF (knock-on-wood) Tom were to relapse? We could use our baby's cord blood to save his life. Daddy would be a 50% match. Me and baby are 100% match, and any siblings would be 25% match. That's a higher chance at matching than a perfectly normal healthy woman has at conceiving in any given month (10-15% chance). SIDE NOTE: Tom's next 6-mo check up is this week and we're looking forward to titling him 3-yrs cancer-free!

Here are some reasons why we chose Cbr:

1. Ob/Gyns recommend CBR more than any other cord blood bank. They found my Dr. in their database right away, so he and the hospital are already familiar with Cbr.


2. CBR is the largest and most experienced cord blood bank, which gives you an extra measure of security


3. CBR has the highest cell recovery rate (99%). This is important because you'll have more stem cells to protect your family if you need them


4. CBR's financial and long-term stability gives you peace-of-mind

Read the real stories of real people and how saving cord blood made a meaningful difference in their lives. Click here. All of these stats and info I found right on Cbr's website.

You guys, I am so pationate about this now. I can't express how important and valuable it is to us. I just want to share and pass on the info to everyone I know!!! We just got the collection kit delivered on Saturday by FedEx. The box is sealed and that's what we bring to the hospital when we deliver, so it will be packed in my bag by this weekend! In the packet includes two of those rubbery bracelets that we will start wearing in the next 2 weeks. Mine is purple and Tom's is cranberry. They both have the hotline ph# and the shipping ph#. I really like this idea of the bracelet cuz then we have the info right there on us... AND... when we get to the hospital, the staff are alerted when they see it -- they know that we are saving the cord blood and that they need to get the kit from us! How cool is that!?!

So you are probably wondering how much it costs?

COST: They have six different payment plans to pay for the first 18 yrs of storage, then it's only $125/yr thereafter. It really is not bad price-wise at all, especially considering it can be life-saving for your family. Let me tell ya this... it's about $20-$30 less than IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization).

REFER: If you or someone you know is having a baby, please share this information about saving the baby's cord blood. I also can give you a coupon for $155 discount. I have already shared this coupon and some info with my friends that I know are expecting.

I hope you will look into this for yourself, a friend, a family member and share what you find. It could save their life someday.

It's now time for me to go night-night. I'm very tired and getting more tuckered out quickly these days.... Need my beauty rest before little mr schwandt comes. Oh, he kicks to say HI to everyone! He must think it's play time....

Love to all!!!