Once I was establishing my first child registry in late 2020, one merchandise was deemed an absolute important by associates, on-line guides, and Instagram followers alike. “You must get the Haakaa!” they mentioned. “It’s wonderful.” I added it to my checklist and began utilizing it recurrently as soon as my son was born, and now it’s one of many gadgets I, too, advocate to new mother and father.
Whereas this little handbook silicone pump seems to be unusual at first, it’s develop into essential for a lot of new mother and father seeking to gather milk, relieve engorgement, and construct up a milk stash, whether or not they’re nursing, nursing and pumping, solely pumping, combo feeding, or one thing in between.
What’s the Haakaa Breast Pump?
The Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump, generally known as the “Haakaa,” is a handbook breast pump made from versatile, light-weight silicone to gather extra milk. “The Haakaa is a superb device for folks with a robust provide who are likely to leak rather a lot whereas nursing,” says Rebecca Agi, M.S., I.B.C.L.C., a Los Angeles-based lactation guide. Should you discover you’re soaking by means of nursing pads whereas feeding your child, the Haakaa could be the secret hack you’ve been in search of.
How Does the Haakaa Work?
The Haakaa pump could look complicated at first, however when you get the grasp of it, it’s fairly straightforward—and fairly genius. Should you’re nursing concurrently, the Haakaa is used on the non-feeding breast to make the most of letdown, however you need to use it the way it works finest for you.
Suction is essential to its success, although it’s possible you’ll have to experiment with approach and placement at first. “The Haakaa makes use of suction to attract out milk from the breast,” explains Agi. “In an effort to get the very best suction, roll the flange down, heart the nipple within the center, squeeze the underside of the bulb and flip up the flange.” This methodology provides probably the most suction to the breast, and thus, extra milk is drawn out. All you need to do is sit there and let it get to work! Haakaa advises putting a heat material atop the breast and massaging gently to encourage letdown.
Should you’re coping with leakage, you may also gently apply the Haakaa to the breast to gather milk with out as a lot stimulation. The Haakaa can be utilized to assist soothe painful nipples or clogged ducts. “There are occasions through the breastfeeding journey when a saline soak to the nipples could be useful,” says Agi, including that the Haakaa generally is a nice car for this course of by filling the product with the mandatory resolution and attaching it to your breast. The Haakaa will also be nice to make use of when coping with mastitis, as it may be sued to assist soak the breast in epson salt.
It’s additionally straightforward to wash, which is a serious plus for those who get burdened coping with electrical pump components. Haakaa recommends cleansing the pump with steam or boiling water after every use.
Execs and Cons of the Haakaa
For a lot of, the largest perk of the Haakaa pump is that it’s a simple technique to gather extra milk. It’s quiet (not like most electrical pumps, which make a low, repetitive buzzing noise) and is available in only one piece, so that you don’t must hook up any components earlier than use—or clear all these components whenever you’re performed. Moreover, it is easy to tackle the go, because it doesn’t require electrical energy.
Relying on the mannequin you select, the Haakaa pump retails for about $15-20 and is comparatively small in dimension, so it’s inexpensive and straightforward to toss in a child bag to be used away from dwelling. (I’ve completely used mine within the automotive.)
One main grievance concerning the Haakaa is that it may be unsteady as soon as it’s faraway from the breast, resulting in spilled milk. Some mother and father I spoke to mentioned they stored a espresso mug or empty bottle close by to pour milk into straight away. Haakaa itself took this suggestions and up to date the pump with a suction base so it sticks to flat surfaces, and you may also purchase a model with a cute flower-shaped stopper to cut back spills. You may additionally need to regulate your child’s ft when nursing, as a result of one well-timed kick can ship the Haakaa flying.
One other concern is that the Haakaa pump can contribute to oversupply for those who’re utilizing it too usually. “Like all breast pump, the Haakaa can set off an oversupply if used a number of instances per day,” shares Agi. “The extra regularly and totally the breasts are emptied, the sooner they refill.”
What Do Actual Mother and father Assume Concerning the Haakaa?
I used to be an enormous fan of the Haakaa pump throughout my very own breastfeeding journey; as soon as I found out tips on how to finest apply it, I used it whereas nursing and in addition whereas doing chores round the home after I felt a bit of full. (I additionally used a traditional electrical pump.) As a result of my output wasn’t constant, I primarily used it to complement what I used to be pumping whereas my son was at daycare, although I used to be actually amazed at how a lot milk it might gather in just some minutes.
“I completely LOVED the Haakaa,” says Lizann V. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, who was equally impressed by the helpful gadget. “I used to be a bit of cautious about it at first as a result of my thought was, ‘This could not presumably work to assemble wherever close to sufficient milk like the electrical pump does.’ I am pleased to share that I used to be completely unsuitable.”
Lizann really went out and acquired two of the bigger dimension Haakaas after her first use and says she saved a lot milk that she needed to buy a small freezer. “I solely breastfed till I went again to work and nonetheless most popular to pump with my Haakaa pumps.” She additionally bought the Haakaa Ladybug Silicone Milk Collectors, and wore them in public and at dwelling to gather leaked milk.
Mother of 4 Amber B. of St. Louis, Missouri, calls the Haakaa a “lifesaver.” Her now-6-year-old son was born with a tongue and lip tie, and by 12 days previous, he had misplaced virtually a pound and was coping with extreme dairy and soy intolerances. “To get him again to start weight, I needed to complement after each nursing session. I by no means responded properly to common pumps, however with the Haakaa, I’d get an oz. or two with each letdown and was capable of feed him that in a bottle as a substitute of utilizing costly hypoallergenic formulation,” she shares.
Amber additionally selected the Haaka for her youngest baby. “We began utilizing it from day one, and when he was solely six weeks previous we really donated 500 oz. of milk to a different child!” She continued to make use of the Haakaa till her son was 1 12 months previous and donated 10 gallons of breastmilk in that point. “I by no means had to make use of an everyday pump in any respect, which was an enormous deal for my psychological well being as properly. I freaking love these issues!”
Whereas the Haakaa has develop into essential for a lot of new mother and father, that doesn’t imply it’s the right match for everybody. “Like many different breastfeeding and pumping merchandise, it is not designed for all breast dimensions and shapes, which is irritating for these of us on the smaller facet,” says Bethany S. of Chicago, Illinois. “Even with attachments for smaller breast/nipple sizes, and even with teaching from my doula, I could not get it to work for hand-pumping. Within the haze of recent motherhood and studying to breastfeed for the primary time, it was simply one other factor that felt actually defeating to not be capable of work out.”
As with something being pregnant and baby-related, if you end up with lingering questions or considerations concerning breastfeeding and pumping, make sure to attain out to a lactation guide or well being care supplier.
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