Eligibility

Please review the official Red Cross blood donation eligibility guidelines:
redcross.org
bloodct.org

Information about the Bone Marrow Registry

http://www.marrow.org/

Things to keep in mind in the days leading up to your donation:

2 days before donating

• Start drinking 2-3 extra glasses of water. It's like writing a check, you need to make a few deposits before you can make a withdrawal.
• Eat full regular meals.

1 day before donating

• Continue to eat full regular meals. DON'T FAST! It will only cause you to feel faint.
• Continue to drink 2-3 extra glasses of water.
• Get plenty of rest

Day of donation

• Eat a healthy (avoid foods high in fat) breakfast or lunch at least 1 hour or more prior to donating.
• Continue (yes still) to drink 2-3 extra glasses of water.
• RELAX and remember that you are helping save lives.

More tips for success

Drink extra fluids before your donation.

You can begin to drink extra fluids the day before your donation. Water and juices are great, but avoid a lot of caffeine.

Be sure to eat.

Don't skip breakfast or lunch on the day of your blood donation. Your body will need extra energy to donate a pint of blood. You will also feel better after donating if you have eaten a healthy meal (avoid foods high in fat) a few hours before. You should eat foods high in iron before donating in order to ensure a safe hemoglobin level. Rasins are a great snack, and high in iron too!

No strenuous exercise before or after donating.

If you do exercise before donating, be sure to drink even more fluids to replace what you lost during your work out.

Don't drink hot liquids, smoke, or chew gum just prior to donating.

This can cause your temperature to be falsely elevated.

Wear comfortable clothing.

Wear clothing with sleeves that can easily be rolled up above the elbow, as well as something that you feel comfortable in while on the bed during the donation process.

Relax.

You may feel a little nervous, especially if this is your first time donating blood. Most people find that donating blood is much easier than the imagined, and fun too!

Eat iron-rich foods

Every year, a large number of potential blood donors are turned away because of low-iron in their blood. To prevent this from happening to you, please check this web site for a list of iron-rich foods and make sure you start building your iron count one week before your scheduled appointment.

Athletes

It's likely that you can donate, even in-season. Talk to your coach before donating.