When collecting cord blood the umbilical cord is first clamped and cut. After this the doctor/midwife disinfects the injection site and inserts a needle into the vein of the umbilical cord. The cord blood then flows into the collection bag. The bag is always placed lower than the placenta to allow gravity to help drain the blood into the bag.
The process of cord blood collection is painless and does not interfere with mother and baby bonding. Overall, the collection takes roughly 10 minutes to complete.
Following cord blood collection and when the placenta is expelled, the doctor will cut as much of the umbilical cord as possible and place it into the container supplied in the Cells for Life collection kit. The container will be sealed and placed in a medical biohazard bag and returned to Cells for Life for processing and storage.