We looked into private cord blood storage (as we live in rural Qld, we can't donate to the public bank). It is REALLY seriously expensive - no matter where you live. Needlessly expensive actually. When we looked into it, it was $3000 + just for collecting it from the hospital (I realise there is time and effort involved in travel, but the proceedure itself it relatively simple) and then you pay $800 a year to have it stored. It's a rort! I hate that it plays on our sense of wanting the best for our children - the pamphlets make it sound as if you could be risking the child's life if you don't do it!!! As Michael has pointed out - that's far from the truth. But it doesn't stop them exploiting people. I would love to have done it for Hannah - 'just in case' there should ever be a need for it, and technology has progressed enough for it to be of use to us at the time, but we just couldn't afford it.