Blood Donation Tips

As a blood donor, there are certain steps you can take to help make your donation experience as safe, successful and pleasant as possible. Here are a few recommendations. Before Your Donation:

1. Get a good night's sleep.
2. Eat a good breakfast or lunch.
3. Drink extra water and fluids to replace the volume you will donate, but avoid caffeinated beverages.
4. Eat iron-rich foods to boost your iron level.
5. Avoid fatty foods. Tests for infections done on donated products can be affected by fatty materials.
6. If you are an automated donor, get plenty of calcium-rich foods and drinks for a few days prior to your donation.
7. If you are a platelet donor, remember that your system must be free of aspirin for two days prior to donation.