You ask: Can you donate blood while pregnant? Pregnant women are not allowed to donate blood according to many Blood Donation Centers and Organizations. They also advise waiting at least six weeks after giving birth. Note that donors who wait till at least six weeks after delivery can help save the lives of other patients
Pregnant women’s total blood volume increases by about 50 percent. Pregnancy is a time of significant change, so it is important to get enough nutrients during this time.
Pregnant mothers can survive without blood transfusions, but they need plenty to stay alive.
If you are near full blood supply, your doctor might choose to keep some of your blood in case it’s needed later; this way you’re able to save someone else who needs it without the risk of losing too much.
Some women choose to donate blood before realizing they’re pregnant.
This is unlikely to cause any problems with the pregnancy and may simply be a precautionary measure, but if you have concerns about potential side effects, it is best to consult your healthcare provider.
During pregnancy, a woman’s hemoglobin levels increase by a small amount, in order to provide blood to the baby.
Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to all parts of the body.
While pregnant, a woman’s iron stores usually increase so that she has enough stored iron for the growth of her baby and for her own needs after delivery.
These stored iron supplies will last until about six months after delivery when menstrual periods resume and the blood loss from the uterus begins again, or there may be more complications associated with giving blood during pregnancy.
For this reason, blood donation is dangerous for a pregnant woman. The risk of transfusion-related problems for a blood donor is small, but the risks are there.
If a woman has cancer and needs to donate blood during pregnancy, doctors can use laboratory processing to separate out the iron-carrying compounds from the donated blood.
After blood donation, these iron compounds are quickly removed from the donated plasma with special filters that remove most of them from being returned to the body as part of red blood cells.
