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Stem Cell Collection

How does stem cell collection work?

We understand that the birth of your baby will be one of the most significant days of your life, which is why we are dedicated to ensuring a seamless stem cell collection service from beginning to end.

Stem cell collection has no impact upon your birth plan and will never interfere with bonding between you and your baby after the birth. In fact, it takes place in a separate room, after the third stage of labour.

If you want to choose delayed or optimal cord clamping, our CellsPlus option is the first cord blood banking service in the world to be completely compatible.

Stem cell collection could not be easier, yet it could save your baby’s life.

Stem cell collection with Cells4Life

We will organise everything for you from the moment you choose stem cell collection for your baby.

On the big day, your only responsibility will be to bring your Collection Kit with you. If you need a phlebotomist, we will provide on. All you need to do is call them when you go into labour. They make sure they are there in time for your baby’s birth. Once your baby is born, your phlebotomist or consultant will perform the stem cell collection using the items found in your collection kit. Then you just call our courier service and we will be there to pick up the sample.

We will do all of the rest.

And if you need any additional support, we are at the end of the phone 24/7, 365 days per year.

Request your Welcome Pack

Learn everything you need to know about stem cell collection and cord blood banking by downloading your free Welcome Pack.

Order your stem cell collection kit

In your Welcome Pack, we have enclosed two copies of our Service Agreement and the Phlebotomy Service Terms and Conditions. These are legal documents, so please read them fully and raise any questions you may have with us. Please complete and sign each section of the Service Agreement before returning it to us with your initial payment. Alternatively, give us a call on 01444 873950 and we can send you a copy of our digital consent form to complete online and take the initial payment over the phone.
Once this has been received, we will send you your Collection Kit via next day delivery and set up your phlebotomy service immediately.

Advise your hospital

At your next hospital appointment, please make them aware of your desire to collect stem cells as part of your birthing plan. We will also provide you with a letter to confirm this to the hospital, which notifies them of your request and introduces Cells4Life as your stem cell bank.

On the day of stem cell collection

Going to hospital
When you go into labour and head off to hospital, you need to remember to bring your Collection Kit with you. If you require a phlebotomist, you also need to let them know that you are on the way and when they need to arrive themselves.

Collecting cord blood
Following the birth of your baby and delivery of the placenta, your healthcare professional will use the Collection Kit to collect the cord blood, tissue and a maternal blood sample before packaging them into our specially prepared transport bags ready for courier collection. The whole process takes between 20 and 30 minutes to perform.

Call courier
As soon as possible after the sample has been packaged, you can arrange immediate pick-up with our dedicated courier, who will hand-deliver this to a Cells4Life laboratory technician. This is a 24-hour, 365 days per year service. Please make sure that you keep the Collection Kit with you at all times, and hand it directly to the courier. Do not leave it at the hospital reception desk.

Testing and cryopreservation
We process all stem cells within 24 hours for UK clients, although most are processed within 12 hours. First, we assess the viability of your child’s stem cells. Then we create individual samples and store them using ‘cryopreservation’ – a process of freezing the cells and tissue in liquid nitrogen to stop all biological activity. The cells are maintained in this state until they are required.

Maternal sample testing
All samples are tested using the latest instrumentation and assays. In addition, Cells4Life uses specialist reference laboratories for additional testing if required.

At home, following stem cell collection

Initial results
Within two working days of the birth you will receive a phone call to let you know the initial viability results of your new baby’s sample. We will also send these results to you in the post.

Contamination testing
For up to 14 days after the arrival of your sample, a tiny portion will undergo contamination testing. Whilst contaminations are rare, if your sample does contain one, we will let you know the bacterium and its implications for use in treatment. You can then decide whether to store or destroy the sample. If you choose to have it destroyed, you will receive a full refund of the processing, testing and storage fees.

Certificate of testing
Once testing is complete and full payment is received, you will receive a Cells4Life Umbilical Cord Blood (and Tissue) Testing Certificate for your child’s samples. This is a record of the test results.

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