Giving, making a difference, improving the lives of others… these actions are priceless. Offering your breast milk to your baby is a wonderful gift, but sharing it with another child in need is an even more extraordinary act.

Breast milk, a unique food for babies

Breast milk is the ideal food for babies. It not only provides essential nutrients, but also antibodies that promote the development of healthy gut flora. This flora plays a crucial role, as it is the baby’s first line of immune defense, with approximately 80% of their immune system located in the gut. To learn more, check out these posts on breast milk processing and baby’s intestinal immunity or intestinal microbiota.

A recent service in Quebec and well established elsewhere

Breast milk banks have existed for several years in Canada, particularly in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. In Quebec, this service has been official since 2014. Projects are also underway in the Atlantic provinces. Internationally, Europe and Brazil each have more than 215 banks, while the United States has 26.

In Quebec, Héma-Québec manages these milk banks, leveraging its expertise and infrastructure dedicated to blood donation. Breast milk, like blood or stem cells, is a human biological product that must be collected, analyzed, pasteurized, and distributed under strict conditions. Tests are performed to eliminate any risk of infection (hepatitis, HIV, syphilis), thus ensuring the safety of premature babies, who are often the main beneficiaries.

Current presence and expansion plans

Currently, milk banks in Quebec are mainly concentrated in large centers such as Montreal and Quebec City. A recent pilot project in Sherbrooke, in the Eastern Townships, and in Saguenay is exploring new collection methods via Plasmavie. Other satellite centers will soon be set up to facilitate access for donors and meet growing demand.

Many mothers want to donate their milk, but this is not yet possible everywhere, which can be frustrating. The donation process is very strict and regulated, ensuring the quality and safety of the milk collected. These requirements are reassuring, just as when we donate or receive blood: the health of the recipients is always the priority.

Who benefits from breast milk from milk banks?

In Quebec, hospitals have an annual demand for over 4,000 liters of breast milk to feed more than 1,000 premature babies.

Babies born before 32 weeks of pregnancy, representing about 5 to 6% of births, are particularly vulnerable to infections and complications due to their extreme immaturity. Breast milk reduces the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis, a serious intestinal disease, by 3.3%.

Although breast milk does not prevent all problems, it significantly reduces their occurrence and improves the chances of recovery. Milk from public banks supplements that of mothers who, for various reasons, cannot breastfeed their premature babies.

The use of breast milk from Héma-Québec is strictly reserved for decisions made by qualified healthcare professionals.

Becoming a breast milk donor

Essential criteria

To be selected as a breast milk donor, a mother must meet certain essential criteria:

• Be a woman aged 18 or over
• Be in good health
• Not smoke or use nicotine products (gum, patches, etc.)
• Be breastfeeding her baby
• Live in an area served by a breast milk bank (maximum one hour’s travel time to drop off milk)
• Not have stayed in France before 1995 (risk related to mad cow disease)
• Agree to follow the necessary steps prior to donation

Steps in the donation process

Several steps are necessary before your milk reaches a baby’s stomach. Here is the process when you meet the criteria to become a donor:

1. Check the criteria: Make sure you meet the selection criteria.
2. Forms: Complete the registration and consent form (during or after pregnancy) and have it signed by a healthcare professional, then return it to Héma-Québec.
3. Telephone interview: A Héma-Québec representative will contact you for a confidential questionnaire about your health and habits.
4. Blood tests: If eligible, blood will be drawn at home or at a satellite center, to be repeated every six months.
5. Training and equipment: After satisfactory results, training on collection and storage, and delivery of a kit of labeled bottles.
6. Start of donation: Begin building up your milk reserves at your own pace. You can stop at any time.

Milk collection procedure

• Wash your hands with soap and water, then dry them with a clean towel.
• Gently clean your breasts with unscented soap (without disinfectant), rinse with clean water, and dry in the open air or with a clean cloth.
• Change nursing pads after each use to prevent moisture buildup.
• Use the bottles provided by Héma-Québec that are compatible with your breast pump, without touching the inside.
• Clean and disinfect the bottles according to the instructions.
• Never fill the bottles completely (milk expands when frozen).
• Write the date of expression on each container.

Milk storage

• Freeze the milk within 30 minutes of collection, at the bottom of the freezer (avoid the door).
• Milk is generally collected at least once a month by the Milk Bank, at home or at a service point.

Processing and distribution

The milk received by the Bank is analyzed, pasteurized, and then re-analyzed before distribution to hospitals.

Cleaning after each collection

• Rinse the breast pump parts with cold water immediately after use
• Clean them with hot soapy water, then rinse with clean water
• Sterilize the parts by immersing them in boiling water (5-10 min), or by using a sterilizer or microwave steam bag
• Leave to air dry on a clean surface.
• Store the equipment in a clean place until the next use.

Transporting breast milk

The transport of breast milk from banks to hospitals is subject to strict standards. The milk is always delivered frozen, in special containers with dry ice, in order to maintain an optimal temperature throughout the journey. Each hospital center is then responsible for managing the milk: storage, thawing, administration, or disposal.

Key information to remember

• Breast milk donation is a voluntary, unpaid act that is regulated by law and ethics.
• Priority is always given to feeding the donor’s own baby, and donations are made from the fourth week postpartum with surplus milk.
• Donors express their milk at their own pace and according to their production, with no daily obligation.
• No special diet is required, only a balanced diet recommended for all breastfeeding mothers.
• After consuming alcohol, you must wait at least 12 hours before expressing milk, with a daily consumption limit in order to donate.
• Thawed milk should never be refrozen.
• Any changes in health, medication, vaccinations, travel, drug use, or risky behavior must be reported to the milk bank.

Donating breast milk is a precious gift that helps save lives and protect vulnerable babies. It is a source of pride to participate in a cause greater than oneself.

For more information on Quebec’s public breast milk banks, contact Hema-Québec:

Phone: 1-800-565-6635 // 514-832-5000 ext. 5253
Email: [email protected]

Marie Fortier
The baby expert

Article reviewed by Hema-Québec: April 2025.

Updated: April 2025.