Kudos! You are pregnant. Now is the time for you to become a bit selfish and pay due attention to your unborn child. Most women donate blood regularly and there is no better feeling that helping another human being. But can a pregnant woman donate plasma; you need to think about yourself a wee bit. In case if you are really thinking on the lines of donating blood then think for a wee bit now.
The reasons why a pregnant woman cannot donate blood?
Most medical associations forbid a woman from donating blood when they are pregnant. This is a type of discrimination and you might feel that you should avoid it. The body is going to produce extra amount of blood when you are pregnant. This blood you will need in order to accommodate the needs of your developing baby. If you plan out for blood donation pregnancy not only you are putting your but the life of your little one at risk.
Till date no specific reason exists on why a pregnant woman should go on to donate blood. Anaemia does pose to be a major issue when you are pregnant. If you donate blood this would make the condition a lot worse.
It is not only that you are advised on not to donate blood till you are breastfeeding your little one. A general suggestion would be to wait for 9 months after giving birth for you to donate blood. If you are still into donation of blood the blood bank might ask you to wait till you keep your baby away from breast milk. The main reason being that a breastfeeding baby depends on the milk for all their breastfeeding needs. If you donate milk this can take off some essential nutrients. In asking to wait for 9 months this period would be more than enough to replenish the iron content of your blood.
In countries like US women can donate blood even 6 months after delivery. Just give a careful consideration to this thought before you intend to go ahead. The main reason why you are allowed to donate blood during pregnancy would be that the doctor may feel that you need blood transfusion during delivery. It means that you are donating blood to your future self.
Other than this there is no specific reason that prohibits women from donating blood during the period of pregnancy. Then why is the risk? Pregnancy cannot be termed as a handicap but it works out to be a tough job. You need to be at your health self to rekindle any flame of spark that ignites inside you. coupled with the fact you are subject of endless number of pokes with a needle when you are pregnant. No specific reason to add one as you would want to help the society. The key would be to wait for a few months and considering all pros along with cons opt for blood donation.