Blood cord donation

[SweetPea86]

Hi just woundered if any one else had done this. Just been reading up on it on another website and if you donate the cord afterbirth it can help people with cancer. Using the stem cells. I would like to donate it but not sure how to go about it.

Has any one else donated

[HelenHen]

You need to find out if your hospital does it, many don't unfortunately. It would be a great thing to do though. Failing that, there's also delayed clamping where you ask the midwife to delay clamping the cord and let the baby have the blood... There's some research to support benefits of this too.

[SweetPea86]

Thanks Helen I will have a look in to it, I have a midwfie app tomorrow so will ask her then. :)

[HelenHen]

Aw cool, hope they do it! My hospital don't do it but some people are trying to change that! I think there are also private companies who do it for quite a bit of money but I don't know anything about it.

[MrsHoolie]

I had a baby at King's and signed up for the cord blood donation.
Hardly any hospitals do it though.

For some reason they didn't take the cord blood although I didn't find out why!

[icklekid]

I'm planning on through this www.anthonynolan.org/news/2014/02/19/new-centre-nottingham-collect-life-saving-umbilical-cord-blood it has a list of othet hospitals where they collect. I think it's too good not to do.

[SweetPea86]

Thanks I'm from the north east, Middlesbrough my local hospital is James Cook University hospital. So will need to find out if they do it, I've done an internet search and it didn't give much info. Will deffenitly ask my midwife tomorrow.
It's a shame not many hospitals do it as I think lots of parents would want to do this.

Thanks for all the advice

[jammiecat]

Hi, this is only possible in London, Nottingham, Leicester or Birmingham at the moment so you won't be able to in Middlesborough. I wanted to but as I had a blood transfusion after my DS was born they won't accept my cords this time. Although I can donate them for research rather than direct treatment which I'll probably still do.

[jammiecat]

P.S. Details on teh exact hospitals where you can donate are on these two sites: www.anthonynolan.org/8-ways-you-could-save-life/donate-your-umbilical-cord-blood/can-everyone-donate and further London hospitals at: www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/cordblood/howtodonate/wherecanidonate/

[McBaby]

I was signed up to donate last time but the collection team only work mon-fri 9-5 so they didn't take it.

[KiwiBanana]

Ooh I'm at boro as well! Would you update us if you can do it there :)

[SweetPea86]

Yeah when I looked at the website it said only London Birmingham etc. Such a shame I would love to donate. Kiwibanana Yes I will speak to midwife she if she knows anything about it tomorrow like some of the ladies subjected private companies might do it. Will let you know :)

[SweetPea86]

Suggested not subjected lol

[kalidasa]

Yes I did it at the Royal Free in London.

[kalidasa]

Sorry that was a bit curt - was on the ipad. I filled in a form during pregnancy and that was attached to my notes I think; I also highlighted that I wanted to donate in my (short) birth plan.

I delivered kneeling up on the bed so I didn't see any of it happening, but I know that the collection team were alerted when I was about to give birth and they came and did the collection. One of them visited me in hospital the following morning so that I could sign some documents (I guess they can't make you do it at the time for obvious reasons!).

I felt v. strongly about it as one of my sisters had leukaemia so I was really pleased I was able to do this. I didn't realise it wasn't yet very widespread.

[magichandles]

Yes, I did last time as I gave birth at one of the participating hospitals and I will again this time.

[prettyinpink90]

As I thought, our local hospital don't participate in this. Such a shame as I would have loved to donate and i'm sure others would too.

[FrumiousBandersnatch]

I delivered at King's and donated DD's cord blood. They were able to get a really good sample so although we'll never know for sure I'm hopeful that it was suitable for a therapeutic use. If not, it is used for research.

A private company can't help you to donate the blood for altruistic reasons, only to preserve it theoretically for your child's own use if they need it in the future.

[TinyTear]

you can't do it if it's an EMCS

I was actually pissed off with the collecting people in my case as I wanted to do it, but then got taken to emcs and she bloody woman WENT TO THEATRE and was there blocking my view of my baby while she was being cleaned and I was being stitched, so just being annoying and getting in the way

grrrrr

[SliceOfLime]

I picked up a leaflet about this at my hospital, UCLH in London, recently and am hoping to donate this time. Thanks for this thread reminding me to follow up with the midwife next time!

[SweetPea86]

When I asked midwife she asked me what it was didn't have a clue lol. And James cook hospital don't do it. So I'm pretty much at a loss ! If the midwfie hadn't even heard of donating it lol

[KatoPotato]

We did it at the PRMU in Glasgow, just if anyone else is interested!

[Minithemoocher]

Can you give a donation and have delayed cord clamping? I'd like to do both but guessing this isn't possible!

[Minithemoocher]

Anyone?