cord blood banking

does anyone have experience of cord blood banking in Victoria? I'm looking for a couple of bits of information namely:

the cost
does the baby have to be born at a specific hospital for it to happen?

TIA :)

Have you seen the BB article on cord blood? :) I've updated it not long ago.

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/birth/...-cord-clamping

Thanks Kelly :D I am aware of all those aspects of cord blood banking, I just really need the answers to those two final questions so I can give the person who asked me a full overview. She has a pretty good reason for considering this :)

I know the answer to the second qu is yes. not all hospitals are set up to do the cord preparation. RWH was doing it, but i don't know about other hospitals.

The companys that do it privatly are $$$$$ and they can be done in any hospital. (eg cryosite) It is a scary thing for MW to do as they worry about not getting required amount or blood clotting etc but is done. From people I have known through work to do it, they are sent a collection kit and esky to there home a few weeks before EDD and they bring it to hospital with them and once collected ring a specific number for courier to pick up cord blood and take to where ever it has to go.

Hope that helps

Thanks that helps a lot :D

I was told it would eat up your baby bonus.
And it's not available everywhere, no.

I had to get a blood test today and the nurse that did it was telling me she just got a job to collecting cord blood :)

She will essentially be 'on call' to certain hospitals in her area (so I guess not every hospital would do it?), she goes in as soon as bub is born (the sooner the better apparently), takes some blood from right near baby, then some from right near the placenta. Mum should have the kit for it all (as someone mentioned above) and a courier come picks it up once it's all collected. She mentioned it being something in the region of 3 grand (but she wasn't 100% sure).

Just her story but hope that helps a little. I thought it sounded like a very interesting job :)