Blood Donation During Pregnancy: Is It Safe or Not?

Donating blood is an act of selflessness and kindness to many people who need it. Those who donate blood can save at least 3 lives through donation. You were habituated to donating blood before your pregnancy. Now that you’re pregnant, according to the American Red Cross, blood donation during pregnancy may not be good either for you or the baby inside you. 

But Why Can’t You Donate Blood While You’re Pregnant? Find Out!  

During your pregnancy, according to Red Cross and WHO, you would require 350 to 500 milligrams of iron from your pregnancy diet. Iron is an essential mineral that keeps you energised and further helps your baby grow inside you. In addition to this, your body is working extremely hard to supply the all-essential oxygen and nutrients to the baby through the placenta and umbilical cord blood

According to 2015’s research, 52% of you suffer from iron deficiency during pregnancy. As a result of iron deficiency during pregnancy, mild or severe anaemia is common. Moreover, iron deficiency – anaemia may not positively impact your pregnancy. There are chances that you might experience placental abruption – when the placenta is partially or completely separated from the inner wall of the uterus. There are also chances that you might give birth to a low – birth – weight baby or premature baby

Therefore, it is not safe for you to donate blood while you’re pregnant. 

So, When Would It Be Safe For You to Donate Blood?

According to WHO, yet again, since blood donation is more about the depletion of the iron stores in your body, which has been proven to bear complications both for you as well as for your baby inside you, it might be safer for you to wait till such time that you deliver your little one. That too, you can’t donate blood immediately after the birth of your child. You’ll have to wait for at least six weeks after childbirth when your body feels ready for the blood donation.

What Are the Things You Should Keep in Mind For Blood Donation After Pregnancy?

The six months wait after the delivery of your baby is not enough. WHO advises you to donate blood only after:

  • Your baby is weaned significantly or getting most of the nutrition from solid food or from bottle feeding.
  • You must be in good health, not suffering from cold and flu or any other infection, and must meet the minimum blood levels to donate your blood once you hold your baby in your arms.
  • You should weigh at least 50 kg.

Organisations like WHO, UNICEF and American Red Cross keep their blood donation camps running for their volunteers. So, all that you need to do is keep track of the camps and participate.