Cord Blood Donation...We Tried...

When I was going to my baby classes, I learned about donating cord blood to research. This was something that I was very interested in doing since if it isn't donated, it is just thrown away. So I looked into the information my instructor provided and signed up to donate my child's cord blood through the Dan Berger Cord Blood Program.

Dan Berger was a prominent Pittsburgh attorney, citizen, and humanitarian who was diagnosed with cancer. After many years of treatment and remission, Dan received a successful stem cell transplant to cure him of both the lymphoma and the leukemia that ensued. In July of 2006, Dan’s heart failed. It was in the course of his treatment that Dan and his wife, Carol, recognized the lifesaving impact of stem cells, and in particular, umbilical cord blood, which is rich in stem cells. The Berger family approached Magee-Womens Foundation to encourage a systematic collection of umbilical cord blood. With much hard work and dedication, Magee publicly unveiled The Dan Berger Cord Blood Program in October 2007.

Cord blood stem cells have been used to treat more than 40 diseases, including many cancers, and account for more than 8,000 transplants worldwide and offers hope to many families, like the Berger family.

So I had all my paperwork filled out, in my bag, ready to go when we went to the hospital. I told the nurses when we got there that this was something we wanted to do and they said OK. Except after an unsuccessful first try at delivering, we had to do an emergency c-section. So I was unaware after they stitched me back up that my cord blood wasn't donated. It was OK though because all that mattered to me was that my baby was healthy - and she is!

Funny thing is that we received a packet in the mail from the cord blood program thanking us for our donation and inside we found a cute little t-shirt. My husband decided to make it work for our situation.

Maybe with the next baby we will get to successfully donate. If you have had a child, did you donate? If you are planning on becoming a parent, is this something you have even thought about?

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Welcome my newest family member!

Yes, I fell off the blogging bandwagon for a bit, but for good cause. I had to welcome the newest addition to my family...my daughter! While I have promised myself to keep her "offline" we did have to post some Facebook pics so family and friends could see her. What are your thoughts about posting about your little ones online when they don't even have a clue?

I didn't even post on FB that I was pregnant. I felt that those who I spoke with and saw were informed and others that I didn't see or speak to didn't need to know. I had a couple people comment that they didn't even know I was pregnant...well noooo kidding! I actually thought it was quite funny.

But now that she is here, I may post some pics of her as she grows, but I want her to decide how she wants to be portrayed online, if she even wants to be online (besides the couple of pics I have already posted). By the time she is old enough to use FB, it probably will be old news and some other website will be what everyone uses.

So in between feedings, diapers and naps, I will try to continue to post on the blog. And I welcome all forms of Starbucks since I still can't drive :)

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Someone is Always Watching

I guess celebrities must be immune to the law. Imagine if we did some of the things that celebrities like Brittney Spears or Lindsay Lohan have gotten away with. This morning I heard about this story where Beyonce thought it was a bright idea to ride in the back seat of a car while holding her baby instead of putting it in a car seat.

News flash Momma Beyonce, celebrity status does not protect you or your newborn in the case of an accident! I just don’t understand why anyone would travel in a car with a newborn baby with no car seat. I can understand some of her actions from shielding her baby from the paparazzi, but I don’t understand why she has gone to such great lengths where she is now putting her baby’s life in danger.

According to safekids.org, children up to the age of 9 and up to 100 pounds should be in a car/booster seat. I know before I was born the laws were more relaxed. No one had to wear seat belts, people could ride in the back of pick-up trucks and insurance was recommended, not required. Now the laws are much different and stricter. So why does Beyonce feel that she is above the law?

Celebrities aren’t stupid (or are they?), they know that someone is always going to be watching. They have to be careful with their every move. I hope that Beyonce learns her lesson and is embarrassed by all of this.

Here are some pictures I found online, what do you think?

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