Q: I don't leak, will the Haakaa work for me? The Haakaa works for many mums who don't leak on the opposite breast when breastfeeding. Breastfeeding simultaneously while using the Haakaa helps with achieving let down as the Haakaa only provides gentle suction.
Can you use your Haakaa in the same way you would any other breast pump? Definately. As long as there is milk in your breasts, the continuous suction of your Haakaa pump will draw it out - not JUST during your letdown.
Some other things you can try include: Seeing if vibration helps (you can start with an electric toothbrush, and then get a lactation massager if you find it works for you) Trying a warm compress. Seeing if you can achieve a letdown by hand expressing first.
Haakaa is by no means can replace an electric pump. But it is soo convenient to use (especially at home) because you don't need to prepare so much stuff before pumping. Cleaning is also a breeze because it is a one-piece product.
Other women don't feel their let down at all. Even if you don't feel your let down, you will see a change in baby's swallowing patterns and hear your baby swallowing. Some moms with sensitive reflexes can let down their milk either right before or right at the beginning of a breastfeeding session.
At this time their breasts may no longer feel hard before a feed, and they may stop leaking milk. These concerns are due to their breasts only producing the volume of milk their baby needs, and only producing it when their baby needs it and is not a sign of a low milk supply.
Many mums will begin using their Haakaa once their milk has come in, especially in the early days to help relieve engorgement and capture all that amazing liquid gold.
Haakaa and your supply
Breastmilk works on supply and demand so like any pumping method, the Haakaa's suction does extract milk which may increase your supply. It's not the Haakaa – or any other pump – that directly causes an over supply, it's how you use it.
They typically suction on the opposite breast while feeding to collect “leaking” milk. It's not an actual pump, but it does create a vacuum that removes milk from the breast. Like any product, it can be a wonderful tool or inadvertently cause problems.
So the secret is to keep the Haakaa on your breast for at least 15 to 20 minutes to ensure you're getting a full feed.
How many letdowns you should aim for depends on the length of your sessions – if you're pumping for 20 minutes, many women are able to get two; if you're pumping for 30, you might be able to get three.
The Haakaa breast pump helps you collect both foremilk and rich hindmilk. Because it's only a piece of silicone, there's no electricity nor any cords required, making it so easy to integrate into your daily routine!
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.
Even if you are not someone who normally leaks, in my experience there is still plenty of milk for your baby even when using the Haakaa. Your body is constantly producing milk, even while breastfeeding.
It seems like the normal amount you can expect to pump using a haaka is anywhere from 1-2 ounces per nursing session. Because the haakaa is designed as a milk catcher you can't expect to pump as much milk with a haakaa as you would with an electric or even a manual breast pump.
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.
It is possible that the Haakaa can create oversupply by using it too much. I did this by accident because I just loved being able to collect so much milk. If your body is responding to both the baby and the Haakaa sucking at your breasts, it can produce more milk than is needed for the baby.
If it is latched without enough suction, you won't get a lot of milk. Too much pressure is also no good, because it can be painful. Usually, once I latch my baby and Haakaa, I wait until my milk lets down and check if the milk drips in the Haakaa side.
The Haakaa can be used as often as you like, but many mothers find that using it during every feeding session is most effective. This is because the Haakaa can help to remove any excess milk that may be present, whch can then help to prevent engorgement and leaking.
“The Haakaa uses suction to draw out milk from the breast,” explains Agi. “In order to get the best suction, roll the flange down, center the nipple in the middle, squeeze the bottom of the bulb and flip up the flange.” This method gives the most suction to the breast, and thus, more milk is drawn out.