We encourage donors to plan their next donation by taking note of the following: 

Post-donation activities 

• To prevent bruising and to promote healing at the needle site, you need to avoid lifting or carrying heavy items for at least 12 hours. 
• You will also need to avoid undertaking any strenuous or athletic activities for 24 hours to enable your body to adjust to the donation. 
• Continue to hydrate yourself throughout the day to help your body replenish the donated blood. 

Travel 

• Some travel destinations have different waiting periods for blood donation. Consider donating blood before you travel. 

Donation intervals 

• For whole-blood donations, there is a waiting period of 12 weeks before you can make your next donation. For apheresis donations, the waiting period is 4 weeks. 

Holiday periods/long weekends 

• Blood stocks tend to dip during long weekends and holiday periods. Consider scheduling your donation during holiday periods and long weekends. This would ensure that our blood-stock levels remain at healthy levels at a time when many regular donors may not be available.