5 Ways Your Doula Can Support Your Cord Blood Banking Goals

As a member of your birth team, a birth doula is present to echo your wishes for your prenatal, birth, and postpartum care. If your preferences include cord blood, tissue, or placenta banking, your doula will intentionally take steps to help facilitate each step of collection so that you can focus on birthing your baby and basking in your newborn bliss.

5 ways a doula can support your cord blood banking goals

1. Write clear intentions to bank your baby’s cord blood in your birth preferences

When we’re writing your birth preferences in our prenatal appointments, we will write a clear annotation under your *Labor Preferences* that includes the collection of cord and tissue with Anja Health’s collection kit. You can use this to review your wishes with your provider at your prenatal appointments leading up to your birth.

2. Review the steps for your cord blood banking kit ahead of time

We will open the Anja Health Collection Kit beforehand and review the steps for collection. Many eyes on the materials helps ensure that no step is overlooked or missed.

3. Reiterate your intentions to collect cord blood and tissue to each provider

Your health care providers are often connecting and assisting with many different births and many different families and a fantastic juggle. I will take action to remind each provider that you intend to bank your cord blood and/or tissue so that it isn’t forgotten in the bustle of birth and the immediate postpartum.

4. Write a note on your labor room white board

Most labor and delivery suites have personalized white boards where your nurses will write down important notes and telephone numbers. We’ll make a note on that board that you have a collection kit to fill.

5. Place your kit in the hands of the delivery courier

After birth, as you enjoy your blissful golden hour and after your provider has completed collection, I will personally ensure that your collection kit is placed in the hands of the delivery courier.

It is such a privilege and honor to be a part of your family’s birth story and the future-proofing of your family’s health with Anja.