Do you need a referral for cord blood banking?

Cord blood banking involves collecting blood from the umbilical cord after birth and arranging its transport and storage through a bank. The bank may allow families to contact it directly, while a hospital or maternity service may have its own process.

A referral is different from clinical approval. Your midwife or obstetrician can explain whether collection is available at your planned birth setting, whether it could affect routine care, and what consent or collection paperwork is needed.

Contact the bank early enough to understand its agreement, collection kit, transport arrangements, storage terms, and cancellation process. Tell your maternity team that you are considering banking so the plan can be recorded and checked against the hospital’s procedures.

Keep the collection kit and contact details available for the birth team. Make sure everyone understands that urgent care for you or the baby takes priority if complications occur. Ask how the sample is labelled, collected, and handed over after delivery.

Contact your maternity team promptly if labour begins before your kit or consent arrangements are ready, or if you are unsure whether collection can go ahead. Seek urgent maternity care for heavy bleeding, severe abdominal pain, reduced fetal movement, fluid loss with concern, or feeling acutely unwell; do not delay care to arrange collection.

Ask whether your birth setting supports collection, who must provide consent, when the kit should arrive, who transports it, and what happens if collection is not possible. Discuss any medical or pregnancy circumstances that could change the plan.