Kudos! You have become pregnant! It may sound silly but it is the time to become a bit selfish and think about yourself and your baby for a few months. Most women donate blood on a regular basis. There is no greater feeling that lending help to a fellow being. But blood donation pregnancy needs to be restricted for a certain point of time. The moment you do become pregnant you have to think about yourself first. If you are thinking on the lines of donating plasma early pregnancy then hold on for a few days.
What is the main reason why a pregnant woman cannot donate blood?
Medical experts dissuade a pregnant woman from donating blood. You may feel that this is a form of discrimination and unfair at the same time as the body is known to produce extra amount of blood when you are pregnant. This blood is needed to sustain the life of a baby inside the womb. If you do not pay heed to this advice and go on to donate blood you are put your life along with the babies under risk.
Till date there is no clear reason on why a woman should not donate blood. One thing is that anaemia does prove to be a major concern when you are pregnant. If you donate blood during pregnancy it could worsen the condition. It is not all about that as you are advised not to donate blood till you are breastfeeding your baby. Till the moment you reach 9 months after pregnancy you are in a waiting list period to donate blood. If still you are into breastfeeding your baby, medical experts will ask you to wait till the moment you stop breastfeeding your baby. The reason being that breastfeeding babies do depend on breast milk for all their nutrient needs. If you donate blood the chances are that some of these essential nutrients may be replenished. With the nine month waiting period, it is more than sufficient to replenish the iron content that is present in the blood.
In countries like US mothers are asked not to donate blood six weeks after delivery. Just you might have to think twice before you are going ahead. One of the main reasons on why you can go on to provide blood during pregnancy is that there is a definite need for blood transfusion during delivery. It means that you are donating blood for your future only.
Till date there is no apparent reason for a woman to stop donating blood during pregnancy, the real question would be why risk it in the first place. When you are pregnant it does not point to being handicap but it does mean that the job is tough. You need to take care of yourself after all there is a baby growing inside your womb. Already you are going to be poked with endless needles, so why add one more to it.
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