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There are many steps during the process. Approximately 7 steps which are explained below:
Cord Blood Storage Step 1 - Receive Your Kit
Once you've enrolled with Cord Partners you will receive a welcome package to describe the entire cord blood storage and collection process, and a collection kit to take with you when you are ready to deliver. Cord Partners collection kit utilizes what is often referred to as the bag or gravity collection method. This method is preferred by physicians and midwives because it is easy to use and it allows for optimal collection volume. Your birthing specialist will be provided with materials and instructions needed for the cord blood collection.
Cord Blood Storage Step 2 - Prepare
Do not forget to take your cord blood collection kit with you to your birthing center when you are ready to deliver. We recommend packing it along with your other personal items in the overnight bag you have "ready to go" when you are close to your anticipated delivery date.
Cord Blood Storage Step 3 - Collect the Sample
The collection itself is clean, painless and does not interfere with your delivery. It's similar to the procedure used by the American Red Cross. The process starts by your birthing specialist clamping and cutting the umbilical cord. Next, your specialist sanitizes a small area of cord and proceeds to insert the needle into the umbilical vein, with a blood bag attached. Just like giving blood, the blood flows into the bag. This process takes less than 5 minutes. Then it's your turn. Your birthing specialist will draw a small blood sample from you for purposes of testing and processing.
Cord Blood Storage Step 4- Call Cord Partners
Once this simple process is complete, call Cord Partners. They are available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. They will verify your sample labeling is complete and arrange for a reputable medical courier to come and retrieve the sample. Finally, the kit should be sealed and remain with you until the courier arrives.
Cord Blood Storage Step 5 - Sample Pick-Up
Cord Partner's reputable medical courier will arrive to transport your baby's cord blood to our AABB certified, federally regulated storage facility in Paramus, NJ. The kit is specifically designed to meet all regulatory requirements for shipping blood and to ensure that the package is insulated and padded to protect the sample from any damage. Their courier guarantees temperature control for the entire delivery process. Cord Partners will contact you when the lab has received the sample.
Cord Blood Storage Step 6 - Test
Once the lab receives your baby's cord blood sample, the following tests are conducted: 1.Volume, 2. Nucleated Cell Count, 3. Sterilization, 4. Infectious disease testing of the mother's blood.
Cord Blood Storage Step 7 - Store
Once tested, the cord blood unit is cryopreserved in cryoprotected blood bags at -196 degrees Celsius (-321 degrees Fahrenheit). The cryopreservation process includes submersion of your sample in liquid nitrogen at all times because this has proven to be the most effective method. Also, we store in blood bags because studies have shown that bags allow for the best cell recovery rates after freezing, thawing and washing, and an even higher cell viability rate than other storage containers such as cryovials. After the cord blood storage process is complete, you will receive a copy of the test results and sample analysis.
For more information about cord blood storage and Cord Partners services click the link above.
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