Types Of Cord Blood Banks: Understand The Difference To Select The Right Bank
Are you planning for cord blood donation? Then, it is important that you know about the types of these banks.
Private Vs. Public Cord Blood Banks
Cord blood banks are mainly of two types, i.e. public banks and Private Banks. Normally, public banks are set up to facilitate umbilical stem cell research for disease treatment and for utilization in transplants of non-relatives. If you decide to save your baby’s cord blood at a public bank, they would not provide you the link between your baby and her blood unit. Therefore, in time of need, there is no guarantee that you will be able to access your babys blood unit. On the contrary, if you donate your baby’s cord blood to a private bank, no one else is authorized to access and use that particular unit without your permission.
Public banks have been further categorized according to profit and non-profit objectives.
The Non Profit Public Bank
An estimate says that about 75 per cent of these banks across the globe are either public or private non-profit ones, which work for public interest. They save samples for transplant or research, and for family use, if a family has a known risk with a rare HLA group.
Remember, if you donate this blood to a non-profit bank, then the bank, and NOT YOU, are the owner of it. These banks store the blood for free and add them in the donor registry, which is accessed by doctors and researchers.
For Profit Public Bank
These banks save your samples for free, but make profit by selling the cord blood units for research. The selling of freely stored blood is legal in US, but illegal in several Asian and European nations.
Private Cord Blood Bank
A private bank is an independent unit and not owned by the state. As mentioned earlier, only you are entitled to access and use your cord blood sample. Such banks charge around $500 to $2,000 to store the sample. The charges vary with different private banks. Besides this, there is a maintenance fee or handling fee, which comes to around $100 annually.
Research Public Banks (RPBs)
These are another kind of banks, which were set up in the early 2000. The cord blood samples stored in such banks are not used for transplants, but only for research. The banks take your samples for free and use them in their own research or sell them to other researchers.
So, now that you are aware of the types of these banks, you can go for donations depending on whether you want to donate the sample for family use or simply help in research. Remember, if you do not like the idea of someone else using your babys stem cells, forget using public banks.
There are two types of cord blood banks. Private banks and public banks. http://www.cordblood-banking.org offers details about the way public and private banks work and other aspects of stem cell and cord blood issues to help you make a smart choice.
Advice From Outside the Doctor’s Office
You can find plenty of information about being pregnant and the stages of growth your baby goes through. Websites and books will tell you all about what to expect at the doctor’s office or about tests you may receive. No one seems to be able to provide some good advice for handling situations such as when friends, family members and sometimes even complete strangers start telling you what you should and shouldn’t do, or the activities you ‘have to’ avoid.
First of all, be prepared to be told all the things you can’t do because of your ‘delicate’ state and have your witty replies ready. Plenty of people will express shock that you’re still working, or that you haven’t stopped playing tennis or squash, or that you feel like going for a bicycle ride, and they’ll be quick to tell you that you should be taking it easy, resting and avoiding any situation where you could get the tiniest bump or scrape.
There’s no need to become a couch potato – exercise and activities are good for you and your baby. Of course, high-risk sports or jobs that have hazardous health risks should be eliminated, but that doesn’t mean you can’t lift, run, walk or do all the things other people do. You could just as easily trip on your own stairs and fall, or slip in the bathtub, but no one’s suggesting that you stop going to your bedroom on the second floor or stay dirty for months!
Once your stomach starts to grow and you can’t hide evidence that baby will soon be here, be prepared to be touched. Many people want to feel your baby move or unthinkingly separate you and your belly into two separate identities, as if you don’t own your body anymore. Complete strangers may ask to touch your stomach or will even reach out to pat your round belly!
There’s never any harm intended with touching and it’s much as if everyone is tempted to show baby that he or she will be welcome in the world. There’s two ways to handle this situation, depending on your personal comfort level.
You can encourage people to help love your baby and let them touch your stomach to feel the movements, or you can politely say that you find your skin too sensitive to endure the touch (or some other wonderful excuse that will get you plenty of sympathy!).
If friends and family are commenting on your size and have gotten you worried that you’re putting on too much weight or not enough, remember that the best person to advise you on pregnancy weight is your doctor, so don’t worry and ask him or her the next time you have an appointment.
Some people will happily offer predictions on your baby’s gender based on your belly size and shape, but keep in mind that there’s no sure-fire way to know your child’s sex until he or she arrives into the world. Whether you carry low or high or your stomach is shaped a certain way has no bearing on the sex of your infant, nor does it guarantee a boy or girl.
No one means to scare you or hurt your feelings, but people can sometimes do so unintentionally. Take everything you hear with a grain of salt and inform yourself about old wives’ tales so that you can set the record straight when friends and family come up with stories that just aren’t true.
It’s easy to avoid many conversations by simply changing the subject with a smile if you’re not sure about what you’re being told, and you can always check with your doctor to get reassurance on matters you worry about. Do remember that everyone means well, and people are sometimes just looking out for you in their own way.
Andi Michaels owns and writes regularly for http://pregnancy.health-and.info/ where you can find more information and advice on all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. Also go to http://health-and.info for health information on pregnancy and many other health topics.
A Guide To The Early Signs of Pregnancy
Most women have that feeling when something about their bodies isn’t quite right, but many seem to be oblivious to the signs of pregnancy. Usually, it’s a friend, family member or a husband who notices that there’s been a change about the woman, but no one can put their finger on what. Staying in tune with your body and knowing the signs of pregnancy are important, as a baby brings about some huge decisions and responsibility.
Knowing the symptoms of the early stages of pregnancy are imperative to making sure you can take action regarding your gravid state and your baby’s good health. The first thing you should do when you believe you may be pregnant is visit your health practitioner to confirm your pregnancy, but trying to pin down whether you’re just not feeling well or whether you’re going to be a mother can be a challenge.
While the signs of pregnancy are usually easily discernable to women who’ve already had children, even experienced mothers can experience difficulty answering the question “Am I?”
The easiest and most common sign you’re pregnant is a late period or one that’s been skipped completely. A home pregnancy test can confirm what you suspect, but you still need to make an appointment with your doctor, as home tests can and do produce false results. Other conditions, such as anaemia or anorexia, can also cause women to skip periods, so it is important to make sure about what’s going on with your body.
There are other symptoms of the early stages of pregnancy. Morning sickness is another common sign women have to denote they’re expectant mothers. There’s nothing pleasant about feeling queasy or throwing up, but if you’ve been ill and you can pattern when the nausea strikes you, you’re probably due for a doctor’s visit. Be careful, dismissing morning sickness as the flu when nausea doesn’t occur in the morning. Some women feel more nauseous at night, or in the middle of the day, or when they haven’t got a full stomach.
More symptoms accompany a gravid state, but do seem to strike less often than a missed period or morning sickness. Breast tenderness can, however, be a big part of pregnancy. Your skin may be sensitive and you might not enjoy your partner touching you in his usual manner.
Headaches are another common symptom of pregnancy, caused by changes in hormones in your body. Neither of these symptoms can be specifically narrowed down to a particular sign of pregnancy, however, as both problems are also related to a wide variety of issues. Paired with a missed period and nausea, though, headaches or breast tenderness are usually a dead giveaway.
Sometimes doubt can be the best early indicator that you may be pregnant. When you hear that little voice inside, piping up and suddenly filling you with worry, it’s usually because you haven’t been listening to what your body has been trying to tell you. Whether you think, know or have doubts about your pregnancy, that voice inside yourself is telling you something’s wrong with your health and you should call your health practitioner for a check-up regardless.
Andi Michaels owns and writes regularly for http://pregnancy.health-and.info/ where you can find more information and advice on all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. Also go to http://health-and.info for health information on pregnancy and many other health topics.
Should You Eat For Two During Pregnancy?
“Don’t be shy; You’re eating for two now!” Since you’ve announced your pregnancy, how often have you heard that phrase? People seem to still believe that expecting mothers should indulge and stuff themselves with whatever is handy and that high-sugar, high-salt foods are perfectly fine to eat in industrial quantities. There’s nothing farther from the truth, and many people misinterpret the true meaning of ‘eating for two.’ Eating for two means is not that you should eat twice as much, but that you’re eating for you and your baby.
The root of the expression really means is that you now have to be conscious that everything you eat is what your baby is forced to eat as well. Being pregnant means you’re responsible for your baby’s health by choosing foods and drinks that are right for him, not you. While you can still enjoy some chips or a soda, overindulgence will provide your body with a big boost of sodium or caffeine, something that isn’t considered healthy for either you or your growing child. You have the option of setting aside the chips and soda to choose a peach and a glass of milk instead, but your baby doesn’t.
You do need to gain weight during your pregnancy, and your doctor will want to weigh you often to make sure you’re gaining in a gradual, steady ascent. Eating the wrong foods and overindulging will leave you packing on pounds that baby doesn’t need and that you’ll have a hard time getting rid of once your baby arrives.
The optimal weight gain is between 25 and 35 pounds, but most of that isn’t fat – it’s mostly your placenta and your baby. What your baby does need is that you take in foods that provide plenty of vitamins and minerals to help him or her develop properly.
Eating for two in moderation doesn’t mean that diets during pregnancy are recommended. Dieting can deprive your growing child of the nutrients it needs to take from the foods you eat, and doctors definitely don’t want to see you losing weight during your pregnancy.
Some women are chronic dieters and this is one time in your life that you need to hold back and make sure you’re getting the caloric intake your body needs. New trends of low carbohydrate diets are especially dangerous to pregnant women and their babies, as the child you carry needs to receive the glucose produced from carbohydrate for a steady, normal growth.
Contact your health practitioner or ask your doctor about nutritious foods for you and your baby. Parenting magazines and the internet can both provide information and tasty, wholesome recipes. Following the recommendations of the Food Guide is another good way to know if you’re making proper, nutritious choices.
While you do need to eat more to compensate for your growing baby, there’s no reason to stuff yourself or go overboard on anything at all. Eat well and properly, enjoying small, healthy snacks spread out during the day, and have complete meals for breakfast, lunch or supper that include plenty of vegetables and whole grains.
Andi Michaels owns and writes regularly for http://pregnancy.health-and.info/ where you can find more information and advice on all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. Also go to http://health-and.info for health information on pregnancy and many other health topics.
Comfort Tips for Expectant Mums
Pregnancy should be a time of your life where you’re glowing and feeling energized, but most of the time, it’s a period full of aches, pains and woes. The complaints of pregnancy discomfort are many and vary from woman to woman, but some of the most common involve backaches, headaches, swollen feet, heartburn, and dealing with the heat.
There’s help and relief available for those pregnancy pains, and it’s just a matter of finding the solution that works for you. Here are some quick comfort tips that may ease your discomfort.
Morning sickness is a big discomfort you may have to deal with. Mostly, it passes after the sixteenth week but there are ways to lessen the symptoms. Eating smaller meals on a more frequent basis can help, as well as avoiding spicy foods or other favourites you know will end up making you feel ill. If you do suffer from morning sickness, do carry water with you during the day and sip at it constantly, as dehydration commonly goes hand-in-hand with being sick and vomiting.
Headaches are another common pregnancy complaint and you can have some killer ones. Try to lie down in a dark room and close your eyes to rest. Some women find a cool cloth on their forehead to be helpful in easing pain. You can take some acetaminophen safely, following the recommended dosage.
Heartburn is a complaint of the later months, when your growing baby pushes more on your stomach and causes acid reflux. You can try propping yourself up when you lie down, so that your upper body is above your stomach. The foods you eat can affect whether you get heartburn or not and meal size is a big factor as well. A full stomach and a baby don’t go well together at all. Should you need medication to ease the discomfort, Maalox is the best choice, or your doctor can provide you with a prescription.
Feeling hotter than usual is something many expectant mothers experience. Dress comfortably and in layers so that if you do feel too warm, you can take some clothing off. Summertime is harder on pregnant women, and the heat can make you feel very uncomfortable, so stay near a fan or a pool and feel free to shed as many clothes as you need. It’s better to compromise your usual need to cover up and expose your skin to the air so your body can cool itself down more efficiently.
Every woman is different and there are more complaints that you might have during your nine months. Backaches can ease with a massage from your spouse or partner, and swollen feet might like a cool bath followed by elevation. Tender breasts can be soothed with silky, loose clothing rather than rough materials.
Yeast infections require over-the-counter medication, so consult your pharmacist on the safest brand to use. For other tips and tricks, use the internet to find websites that provide more information or community forums where other pregnant women or mothers share their advice. You can also ask your doctor if he’s got any good ideas to get that relief you need!
Andi Michaels owns and writes regularly for http://pregnancy.health-and.info/ where you can find more information and advice on all aspects of pregnancy and childbirth. Also go to http://health-and.info for health information on pregnancy and many other health topics.