I try to do platelets and definitely would not hit the mark for “frequent donor” if we just count platelets. My post-platelet-donation bruises tend to last pretty long and I like to wait for them to go away before I try to donate again. But sometimes I don’t have much time to donate, which means I do a whole blood donation instead of platelets. I usually end up doing at least 3 whole blood donations per year because of this, which lands me straight in the “frequent donor” bracket, which for anyone reading, gets suggested to take an iron supplement by the Red Cross.

However, if you are a frequent donor, iron rich foods in your diet may not be enough to replenish the iron you routinely lose through blood donations.

The Red Cross recommends that you consult with your health-care provider to see if taking an iron supplement is right for you. We recommend taking a multivitamin with 18 mg of iron or an iron supplement with 18-38 mg of elemental iron for 60 days after each blood donation, for 120 days after each power red donation or after frequent platelet donations.

Quoted from this Red Cross page. This link also tells you exactly who falls in the “frequent donor” bracket. It varies with gender and, if you are a woman, age.

If you fall into one of these groups, you should consider yourself a frequent donor:

• Women under the age of 50 who have donated two or more units of red blood cells or made 10 or more platelet donations in the past year
• Women ages 50 and older who have donated three or more units of red blood cells or made 15 or more platelet donations in the past year
• Men who have donated three or more units of red blood cells or made 15 or more platelet donations in the past year