cord blood banking

what is cord blood banking?  don't feel bad if you have never heard of it.  i just learned about it while i was pregnant!  it's storage of umbilical cord blood for future use.  cord blood transplants are used to treat diseases of the blood and immune systems.  in a way, it's like insurance - in case something is wrong with the child throughout his life.  it can also be used by a relative (sibling, parents, grandparents, etc) with a close enough match.

i talked to a viacord rep today.  sabrina has been stalking me for a week and she finally caught me.  here's the breakdown of costs (applied $500 off for friends & family) - there are 2 types of packages:

• cord blood package: initial cost of $1750 plus $125 per year for storage
• cord blood and tissue package (6x more stem cells): initial cost of $2695 plus $275 per year for storage

*initial cost can be paid over 6 or 12 installments starting in march and annual storage is due every march

def not cheap but something to think about...  what if?  with all the upcoming costs, not sure we can afford this too.  did you or would you do this for your kids?