Hi all, I’m at the start of the BSD, being fairly strict about 800 calories on work days, and I’ve just had a reminder that I’m due to donate blood next Friday. Does anyone else have any words of wisdom on this? Did you feel more faint or have other after effects? Also, as the NHS advises donors to consume a carb heavy snack 2 hours beforehand I would appreciate any guidance on what to eat – no more sarnies or crisps! And no choccy biscuit with my cup of tea afterwards!!

Hi Janeycoughdrop, I suspect that like many others I could express an opinion but it would not be valid so just phone the centre and ask why a carb heavy snack is recommended so as not to jump to any false conclusion. I want to write more but musst not in your case. Just read your other recent post, interesting, keep posting…

I agree with the above point that the best advice will obviously come from a blood donation professional, but in terms of the personal experiences you asked about I gave blood 2 weeks in and felt no different to how I normally do. I ate my lunch beforehand, drank plenty of liquid all morning, and took my own Greek yoghurt and strawberries to eat afterwards with my cup of tea.

I give blood regularly and have never been told specifically to eat carbs prior to donation so just checked on the NHS blood donation website and all I can find is advice saying that you should eat regular meals beforehand, and drink plenty of liquid – did you find something saying that it needs to be carbs? I’d be interested to hear if this makes a difference 🙂

Thanks for your feedback guys. I suspect our local centre has misunderstood exactly what type of snack should be eaten in the 2 hours prior so I may just have some yoghurt and fruit and see how I get on. Hydration is probably more important. I’ll let you know how I get on next Friday!