Risk losing my cord blood ( save umbilical cord blood for my baby)?

I used viacord and set it up online and they send the kit out to take to the hospital. Unfortunately i didn't take the kit with me on a checkup and ended up having an emergency c-section. However, the nurses were very good and in all the commotion they reminded me about it and they had a spare kit. I think it cost around $1500 but i can't be sure as i don't remember. There are a few cons to the idea but i felt that the pros outweighed them. For one, i had a friend who lost her baby to cancer and if she had saved cord blood it would have helped her. I doubt it would have saved her life but it would of reduced the amount of pain she had to go through from bone marrow transplants etc. After chemo they would have been able to grow white blood cells and make her feel a little better rather than wait until she built them up herself. I'm no expert but i think that there are a lot of benefits. With science developing as rapidly as it is, there will be more and more illnesses that can be treated by using cord blood. Not only for the infant but also for the direct family if needed. If you can't afford it, they will take the blood for you and save it. If your child needs it in the future they will give it to you for free. However, the downside is that it may go to someone else if they need it first. The comment above says that they take it anyway. This is not true, they only take it if you give consent.

how is there a risk when they take the blood after you have the baby and i dont understand paying for something they are taking from you for free if you dont pay for it they just take it for themselves

I would of loved to save it but the cost was just too much and was the final deciding factor for us. There is no risk to the mother by taking the blood from the umbilical cord.

I personally will not do this when my baby is born and I will tell you why: First of all, the cord blood it self has no guarantee of helping anyone. Their is a Chance that the blood may help a future or past sibling in CERTAIN illnesses one day, but the likelihood of that is very uncommon. Secondly, the cost. They say that if you donate the blood to a local bank that it is free, however, you will NEVER have access to this blood unless you pay for the private storage yourself. Now, I know that hospitals and blood banks cannot afford to bank all cords at no cost, but it does frustrate me a bit that you have to pay to bank it if YOU want it but it is free if you want to give it away. Just my opinion. Good luck and I am sure that you will make the right choice :-)

I agree with Heather. The best thing to do is to ask your doctor to wait to clamp the cord at least until after the placenta is birthed. Babies are only born with 2/3 of their blood volume to make them easier to push through the narrow canal, and the last 1/3 gets pumped into their bodies the moments after birth. The cord should only be cut after it stops pulsating and turns a milky white. You already know, it sounds like, how amazing cord blood is. Do your best to make sure your baby gets this amazing gift at birth, not later in the event something bad happens down the road. As for the risks, I know of none.