Hi Daisybuttons,
I think your sales rep made a mistake. Basically it is inside their contract (and therefore not subject to a promotion period) that the first year cordblood storage is free. It is only chargeable from the 2nd to 21st year. However, the waiver of $400 is a promotion, which is ending on 31 Aug. So you have to sign up by then.
My sales rep is Josephine. You can reach her at 96156116.
Basically I woke up at 6am on Sat to rush down to Cordlife at 8am (cos got dental appt at 10am and my dentist is the sort whom I have to book at least 3 weeks in advance and he doesn't take walk ins.) Talked to Josephine for a while, toured the facility at Camden (Cordlife is located at #08-08 Camden Medical Centre), and in the end still didn't sign. Haiz.... I wasn't sure cos the CURRENT stemcell technology is largely used for transplant on 3rd parties and not back to the original donor, as explained by Josephine. So if I am planning to have more than 1 child, then doing cordblood storage is a huge plus cos there is at least a 75% chance that the sibling's cordblood is a match. However, I am only planning to have 1 kid. So the only reason I can think of doing cordblood banking is that the technology will evolve to allow more uses for transplant back to the same donor. Moreover 300-600 million stem cells can be harvested each time. According to Josephine, should a transplant be required, every kg of body weight will require 15 million stem cells. So which means even if a maximum of 600 cells are harvested this time, the maximum weight of the recipient of the stem cells one day cannot exceed 40kgs.
As a whole I have a pleasant experience at Cordlife. They are not pushy, and have good product knowledge. It is just due to the above that I could not bring myself to sign on the spot. My husband is pretty keen. He feels that the technology is rapidly evolving, and there are breakthroughs in stemcell research which may allow growing of stemcells into specific organs one day. Science is also moving in the direction of growing the stem cells, which allow stem cells to multiply and there will not be a constraint on the weight of the transplant recipient. He feels that the money is well spent in banking on the future.
Well, well.... I am still thinking about it. But if you do not need to tour their medical facility, the sales rep can meet u at a place convenient to you.
My baby came up with an irritating method of stretching my tummy (and hopefully increase his available space inside). He will extend his legs and use his butt on one end and feet on the other end to push against my tummy walls, which makes it hurt like mad.... And he will sustain each push to 1-2mins, and then repeat the same cycle all over again, and this can last for 1-2 hours at a stretch everyday for the past week. It is a truly agonising experience, and no amount of rubbing from me will make him give up, so he is darned persistent.
Does any of your babies do the same to you? I cannot think of any remedy to this.... Haiz.
Will be packing my hosp bag soon. Thanks all for posting the list of things to bring in this forum!
