Matching blood and blood banks

Recently I delivered a baby boy. I had mentioned it in my blog.
I was not sure whether it will be a normal or a C-sec.
And I have a rare blood group. I wanted to keep a pint of matching blood "just in case".
I learnt couple of things about blood bank, cross match and transfusion etc.
1. Hope and pray that you NEVER have to undergo a transfusion.
2. If you have to then you will need blood from a blood bank. All hospitals have their resources for the same.
3. In case of a planned surgery, it makes sense to reserve a pint atleast. It costs hardly anything compared to the cost of sudden need for blood.
4. A small sample is taken from you and is sent to the lab for "cross match". It is not necessary that all banks will have "fresh" matching blood all the time.
5. Cross matching process takes approximately 1 to 2 hours.
6. The blood stock expires in 15-21 days. Blood loses its oxygen content as it grows older. So you should try to procure fresh blood as far as possible.
7. Cross match cannot be done well in advance. The cross match sample also expires in 2 days.
8. Some banks have the provision of reservation but that is also for a short period. You cant have it stocked for you when someone else needs it urgently.
9. You must know your blood group very clearly. Get it checked from different labs at different times (atleast 3 times to be statistically correct :) )
And a pint costs somewhere around Rs. 15 to 1800 (subject to change and can vary from place to place).
The important thing is that you must take keen interest in this process especially when you go for an elective surgery.
Donate blood whenever you can.