Treasury regulations (26 C.F.R.)--commonly referred to as Federal tax regulations-- pick up where the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) leaves off by providing the official interpretation of the IRC by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
No. Pregnant women are not eligible to donate blood according to the American Red Cross, which also advises waiting at least six weeks after giving birth. Although the amount of blood in your body increases by about 50 percent during pregnancy, you and your growing baby need it for optimum health and nutrition.
After your baby is born, the umbilical cord and placenta are usually thrown away. Because you are choosing to donate, the blood left in the umbilical cord and placenta will be collected and tested. Cord blood that meets standards for transplant will be stored at the public cord blood bank until needed by a patient. By donating umbilical cord blood, you may be helping someone who needs a transplant.