Tips For Successful Donation
Before Your Donation
find a convenient time and location that works best for you.
Have iron-rich foods, such as red meat, fish, poultry, beans, spinach, iron-fortified cereals or raisins.
Get a good night's sleep the night before your donation, eat healthy foods and drink extra liquids
Ask a friend to donate at the same time. You can support each other and do twice as much good!
Additional tips before donating:
Ask a friend to donate at the same time. You can support each other and do twice as much good!
Day of Your Donation
Please bring your donor card, driver's license or passport or your personal ID with you.
We'll need to know about all prescriptions and over-the-counter medications you're taking
Drink an extra 500 ml. of water (or other nonalcoholic drink) before your appointment. And eat a healthy meal, avoiding fatty foods like hamburgers, fries or ice cream.
Wear a shirt with short sleeves
Wear a shirt with short sleeves that you can roll up above your elbows.
Let us know if you have a preferred arm or particular vein that has been used successfully in the past to draw blood.
Relax, listen to music, talk to other donors or read while you donate.
After Your Donation
Relax for a few minutes in our refreshment & recovery area — have some cookies or other snacks — you’ve earned it!
Tell others about
your good deed
The gratification of giving blood is a feeling you'll want to share.
Drink an extra four (250 ml) glasses of liquids and avoid alcohol over the next 24 hours.
Keep the strip bandage on for the next several hours; to avoid a skin rash, clean the area around the bandage with soap and water.
Don’t do any
heavy lifting
Don’t do any heavy lifting or vigorous exercise for the rest of the day.
If the needle site starts to bleed, apply pressure and raise your arm straight up for 5-10 minutes or until bleeding stops.
Call us at 1760 to report any additional health information that you forgot to tell us, if you have any problems or if you needed medical care after giving blood.
Experience dizziness or lightheadedness
If you experience dizziness or lightheadedness, stop what you’re doing and sit down or lie down until you feel better; avoid performing any activity where fainting may lead to injury for at least 24 hours.
