A Nurse's Views On Cord Blood Banking
As a longtime nurse, Stela has long been following the fascinating developments of the medical world. After a visit to her OBGYN, she was better introduced to the practice of cord blood banking that would ultimately help protect baby’s future. She was able to get over 1 billion TNCs from her cord blood banking with Americord. Read about Stela’s experience.
Where did you first learn about cord blood banking? And what got you interested in learning more about cord blood, cord tissue, and placental tissue banking?
As a nurse, I was familiar with cord blood banking, but it wasn’t until I was pregnant that I started looking more into it and learning more about it. My doctor, Robert Feldman, brought up the subject of cord blood banking in one of my monthly appointments. He asked me if I had thought about it and gave me some good reasons why I should seriously consider it. It was then that I started doing more research and looking at some different companies that offer this type of service.
Why did you ultimately decide to do cord blood and cord tissue banking?
After doing my research and learning all the wonderful benefits of cord blood banking, it was hard to pass up. Though my husband and I are fairly healthy and have not had any serious health complications so far, cancer does run in our family, as does diabetes and high blood pressure. With cord blood banking, we know that our child has a fair chance to fight all these things. As a parent you want to provide the best for your children. Cord blood banking is a chance at a healthy life should any complications ever arise. Though the research is still in development and not all diseases are curable by this method, there is no telling what will be discovered in 10-20 years from now. We have to understand advanced healthcare now to understand the capability of the future.
While conducting your research, did you find that many pregnancy resources spoke about the importance of cord blood banking? Did any other expectant families know about it?
In my research, I looked for scientific articles that explained how cord blood banking works and what the benefits were. In addition, I searched for blogs where parents expressed their thoughts and feelings about it as well as for people who had decided to participate in cord blood banking and if they had ever had the need to use their collected stem cells and what their outcome was.
Ultimately, I read nothing but great reviews. I even read about people who had donated their cord blood and went to find out how people who received donated stem cells were saved! It is truly incredible. I think every family should do this for their children and if they decide not to privately bank, I seriously recommend donation as we know it can save someone’s life in the future.
What was your experience like inside the delivery/labor room?
While pregnant, I heard nothing but horror stories about the delivery process. I was not looking forward to giving birth, but with the help of my doctor and excellent L/D team, I had the perfect delivery experience. I was induced at 38 weeks due to some minor complications, so I had some time to mentally prepare for the birthing experience. I was induced at 9 am and by 1 pm I was pushing. Fifty minutes later, my son was born, and both he and I were happy and healthy. My doctor proceeded to collect the cord blood, the nurse cleaned me up and my baby, and shortly after, I was in my recovery suite with my brand new son in my arms. It was truly a smooth and wonderful experience. It couldn’t have gone any better.
Why did you choose Americord?
Choosing the right company to store my stem cells was incredibly important. There are so many cord blood banking companies out there, you really have to do your research. Choosing Americord was an easy decision though. First of all, the customer service was excellent. When I called Americord to inquire more information, I spoke with Jas James, Senior Cord Blood Specialist at Americord, who was such a pleasure to talk to. I never felt like she was trying to sell me, unlike some other companies, and she was extremely informative. I was comfortable talking to her and she answered all my questions.
Second, even though Americord is not the oldest or largest cord blood bank, I learned that the doctor involved since its foundation is a pioneer in the cord blood banking and stem cell research space. That reassured me that Americord knew what they were doing! Also, Americord is currently using top of the line equipment in this line of work. Last and not least, Americord is affordable! Without any reservation, I believe I chose a great company to store my stem cells. From wonderful customer service to a bargain of a price, you just can’t go wrong with Americord.
Stela made an important decision and is confident that it will pay off. We at Americord are elated to have her join our family. Are you ready to join the Americord family?
The views, statements, and pricing expressed are deemed reliable as of the published date. Articles may not reflect current pricing, offerings, or recent innovations.