From donation to distribution

Your donation’s journey

The benefits of your breast milk are numerous for very premature babies: it helps protect their digestive tract, promotes the development of their intestinal flora, reduces future risks of hospitalization and helps them reach a satisfactory weight more quickly. From bottle collection to hospital distribution, discover the breast milk donation route.

Your donation of mother's milk 

At home, you collect your surplus milk in bottles provided by Héma-Québec, then freeze it.

Pick-up or drop-off 

Based on where you live, Héma-Québec will pick the bottles up at your home or will ask you to bring them to a drop-off point.

Pooling of all breast milk

Héma-Québec then pools your donation with that of other donors to produce one batch of milk.

Pasteurization

The milk is pasteurized to eliminate bacteria and viruses.

Tests and preservation

Héma-Québec checks that the pasteurized milk meets strict safety standards. It is then frozen and preserved for a maximum of one year.

Delivery

The milk is distributed to hospitals, where it is given to premature babies who cannot be breastfed by their mother.