Giving blood - advice please

[Cantstopeatingcakea]

I feel I should donate blood. I've just seen on the news that they are running low. I'm O negative.
I'm not the best with needles, although have had blood tests in the past.Can you lie down? Do you feel weak after? Apologies for being so soft!

I regularly donate and have never had any issues. There is plenty of advice at the donation centres regarding taking it easy afterwards, and they do keep an eye on you.

Download the Give Blood app and it will give you options of places to donate.

Make sure you've had plenty to eat and drink beforehand, you will be fine.

They look after you very well, you donate in a reclining seat which is designed to make it less likely you will feel faint. I do feel a little weak after (I'm in my late 50s, it was less so when I was younger) so I take it easy for the rest of the day, no vigorous exercise or running upstairs. But really it is very straightforward. Please do go if you can. Yes to eating and drinking well beforehand.

I am O-ve too so started donating. On my 3rd go - which frankly is all very straight forward - they jabbed a nerve instead of a vein. Painful. Haven’t been since. Apparently it’s a 1 in 10,000 occurrence

This is a link for a you tube video of what happens when you donate. More info on the donate blood website. As others have said Eat and drink plenty before you go. Oh and enjoy a mint club biscuit after you donate, its my favourite part 😋

Please go if you are O negative in particular. This shortage is pretty worrying. It shouldn't be too uncomfortable, they give you a special flag for being a first time donor which means they keep an extra close eye on you. After your donation they sit you up very slowly, and then you can have an orange club and a cup of tea (mint clubs are for losers)

I always feel fine and I don’t follow any instructions about eating and drinking beforehand and I don’t stick around for a biscuit afterwards although I do have some water. (I’m just lucky, don’t do this)

Make an appointment if you can, and you’ll be in and out in 15 minutes.

I love giving blood! I get time to myself, nice chat with nurses and snacks after. It’s super straightforward and not painful. Also it’s nice that you get told where your donation has gone to. Mine went to the children’s hospital in Birmingham a couple of donations ago.

Crisps every time. No Clubs for me especially the mint ones.

I like the little cheesy biscuits.

Giving blood is easy. You half lie in a reclining chair and they sit you slowly afterwards so you don't feel faint.
You get looked after very well.

I’m O neg and donate but I’ve just looked for an appointment and all the appointments are about 15 miles away. They seem to have stopped coming to my town 😐. They have never texted me to say where my blood has gone either.