My wife and I were discussing cord blood banking with our third (and presumably last) child. The up front cost was a stumbling block, but we were blessed (luck?) to run into the CBB rep at the doctors office. She talked to us, and gave us a 'family & friends' coupon that brought the up front cost down to $500. We did it, and now pay somewhere around $300/year for ongoing costs, but you can reduce that through referrals. For us, in our situation, at that time, we feel like it was a good decision. Maybe it will never be used. Maybe all diseases will be cured. Maybe one of the other kids will never need it. But maybe some day it will help someone, be it our child, me, my wife, or a total stranger. We had the funds, the information, and the wherewithal do it, so we did. I have never woken up at night and thought "gee I wish I hadn't done that". For us, it was the right decision. Look into discounts, payment plans, or other sources if you really want to do it. If not, I hope it works out also.