The haakaa can be used to increase your milk supply or to build a freezer stash, especially during the first few months postpartum.
Does the Haakaa Pump Increase Milk Supply? Yes, it can increase your milk supply. Breast milk supply is general based on demand. If you are drawing out more milk each feeding by using the haakaa breast pump, this will signal your body to produce more milk.
Absolutely! The haakaa is a milk catcher by nature and is designed to catch the letdown you experience while baby nurses. If you're concerned about baby not getting enough milk from the breast your haakaa is on initially, just remove the haakaa once you've collected the milk from your let down.
You can definately use the Haakaa as your primary pump. Some women use our pumps simply to catch excess milk that would otherwise be lost in a nursing pad. However, you can use it to express as you would with any manual pump.
Q: Can I use the Haakaa even when I'm not breastfeeding bub on the opposite side? While the Haakaa is designed to be used in conjunction with feeding, it can absolutely be used on its own. This is thanks to the gentle suction which stimulates your breast to let down.
You can start using the Haakaa as soon as you start breastfeeding or at any time in your breastfeeding journey. The Haakaa is a manual, hands free, silicone pump that is lightweight. Many women find it useful for when you are out of the house as it doesn't need batteries or to be plugged in.
If you need to wear your Ladybug for longer stretches of time, you can simply empty your milk into a safe storage container after 2-3 hours of wear and store away in the fridge or freezer.
Clean after each use. We strongly recommend cleaning and sterilizing your Haakaa Breast Pump with any steam sterilizing system or by boiling in water for 2-3 minutes.
You might get engorged if your milk comes busting in. In that case, it's reasonable to hand express just enough milk into the Haaka to relieve the pressure.
Does the Haakaa Ladybug Milk Collector increase milk supply? No. There is very little suction with this collector, so it will not stimulate more breast milk production.
Hand expression can also be used as a technique during and after pumping to increase caloric content2 and remove more milk. It can be more reliable than a pump when electricity is scarce. It's quieter than a pump when privacy is needed. It's certainly less expensive than a pump.
Pump or express your milk.
Pumping or expressing milk frequently between nursing sessions, and consistently when you're away from your baby, can help build your milk supply.
Why is my Haakaa not Collecting Much Milk? The amount of milk you collect with a haakaa varies from mom to mom. A lot of it depends on your milk supply, the last time you nursed or pumped, and how your breasts respond to the pump.
I would not recommend Haakaa for exclusive pumping as it's not as efficient or quick as a traditional breast pump, nor does it stimulate the breast in the same way for milk production. It may also draw down more foremilk and not be as balanced of a milk as milk fed or pumped by traditional pumps.
If she feels her supply is continuing to dramatically increase and her baby finds feeding more and more difficult, then stop the Haakaa completely. If things are going well, she can continue to do this.
Does the haakaa only collect foremilk? No. Foremilk is thinner and less fatty than hindmilk, so it flows quickly and easily during any pumping session (manual or electric).
You can use your Haakaa as much and as often as you wish. I used mine at least at the morning feed every morning because I tended to be very engorged and would leak often. If I was home, I generally always used it. No need to use it on the go.
Top tip: The Haakaa Generation 3 Silicone Breast Pump is super handy for those looking to express milk to help reduce engorgement, without having to wake up your bub for a feed.
oversupply. vasospasm/ pain (because it's constant suction is left on too long) slow weight gain (because the Haakaa is taking the milk the baby needs) clogged ducts/ mastitis (because Haakaa leaves the most fatty milk inside the breast)
Some gentle breast massage prior to pumping may help stimulate a let down since it's the nerves in the breast and nipple that send the message to your brain to let down milk. Massaging the breast or applying a compress during pumping may also help.
However, it is possible for the let-down reflex to be hindered. Let-down may not be achieved for several reasons including stress, fatigue, tension, pain and even being cold. For many moms recreating the experience of cuddling with their babies while nursing can help to trigger let-down while pumping.