@enealexandru The Hakkaa really only worked for me for about the first six weeks when my supply was regulating and I was leaking all over the place. I just poured milk from both sides and could throw the haakaa on to just catch the letdown and pull it off even before baby was done on the first side. But I had a big oversupply and a fast letdown and would get bout 5oz in 10 min from it. The moms I know who weren't leaky didn't have as much luck using it.
@enealexandru I have one of the knockoffs, NatureBond, and really like it. I use it during the first couple feedings of the day (diminishing returns after that) on the breast not being nursed and can get an easy 1-2 oz. It's especially helpful when I don't want to fiddle with my electric pump at 3am!
I'd suggest trying it again after you've been breastfeeding for a bit. My nipples were really sensitive those first few weeks of nursing and I've found my suction level tolerance has increased quite a bit since then (I started at maybe level 4-5 on my electric pump and 3 months in could easily handle level 7-8).
@enealexandru I also was not a fan. I had a low milk supply so I never really ‘leaked’ off the other boob while breastfeeding. It was practically impossible to use as a pump.
@enealexandru Love mine, if I use it for every feed I get 12+ oz from just using that. I'm a SAHM so I donate the milk, I collect it just for my own comfort and because I leak so much. I've been able to donate a lot to a local mom I met through my midwife.
@debate507 Yup I donated all the milk I caught with my haakaa! I can’t remember how much it ended up being but several hundred bags for sure to a little guy who couldn’t handle formula.
@enealexandru One thing that really helped me with my hakka when my milk was first coming in was a little coconut oil around my nipple. When I added a little lubricant it would catch alllllll the leak on the opposite boob, and it didn’t hurt anymore.
@enealexandru I hated it too! Mainly like you said. It sucked in too much of my boob and was painful. I gave it away lol. I just yard a hand pump if needed for little things or one side or used my spectra when I had to skip a feeding for work or whatever. Next time I would get Milkies milk savers to catch my leakage.
@enealexandru Like most have commented, I wouldn’t call the Haakaa a pump. Its primary use is to catch letdown and relieve pressure. We never ended up using bottles but I had oversupply and fast letdown, so I pretty much always used it to catch the other side for the first four months. After that it was useful to relieve pressure when my little one ended up sleeping or playing a long stretch without the boob. I don’t think I ever had any pain using it. It was nice to have the extra milk in case of an absolute emergency where I wouldn’t be with my baby to nurse her but I was able to donate it all. It was great. Also I think it was kind of helpful with fattening up my babe in the early months because the haakaa would catch the foremilk while LO was on one side then she’d switch and get mostly hindmilk. Love the haakaa. I don’t know if it’s helpful or not for pumping/bottlefeeding mamas since I did not have that experience.
@enealexandru If you’re expecting your Haakaa to perform like an electric pump, you aren’t going to be happy. Most people use them to catch a let down on the opposite side that baby is nursing. I never did that as I didn’t really leak. I did have an oversupply though and often needed to relieve pressure. I didn’t want to get out the electric pump (and have to clean it) or use it, as it might have stimulated my supply too much. The Haakaa was perfect for hand expressing. I block fed, so I was usually only engorged on one side.
I definitely got the hickey issue. I just made sure to keep an eye on it and take it off it it started looking red. I also got better at adjusting the suction and that helped.
@enealexandru What is likely happening is that the haakaa is too big for your nipple. I was using a haakaa and pumping, but I preferred the haakaa because i would get much more out of it. I started getting pain in my breasts though and a lactation consultant explained the haakaa is only in 24 mm which means if you have small nipples (I have to use 19 mm flanges for pumping), it’s going to pull in too much breast tissue. That’s why you are getting the red/hickey feeling after. I started using it just to collect letdown (so put on the same way but not full suction) and pumping more and my breasts stopped hurting. I wish it came in different sizes because I did really like it while I was nursing.
@enealexandru I love using the haakaa. I use it to catch my milk like other have said and also loved it for the nighttime feeds rather than setting up my electric pump. I just bought a set for my SIL who recently had a baby. I never experienced pain from it but would at times have a large red area after taking it off. It always has faded though.
@enealexandru I used my haakaa regularly during the first 8 months of my little ones life, I was a big leaker and would put it on the non-nursing boob when nursing and it would collect what I leaked and pull out even more with the suction. I was an oversupplier and would use it at my night feedings and ended up with a ridiculous freezer stash almost entirely from the haakaa!
@isabelle44 Same, I'm only 7w pp and a sahm for the time being so I have over 2l of milk in my freezer that I'm not sure what to do with now almost entirely from haakaa (I have a small manual pump that I use maybe twice a week if LO has a longer nap than my boobs can handle lol).
@anzio If you are in the US you can find your states version of Human Milk for Human Babies and donate some of it! I have been donating since my daughter was about 3 months and have met some really great moms in need of milk and it feels so good being able to help out
@enealexandru Like others suggested, I used it on the non-nursing side.
I have two and tend to pop them both on after a shower. I was usually leaking after a hot shower and could catch another ounce or so while going thru my daily routine.
On workout mornings, I put them on and hand express a bit to get it started. I wear them while I drink some water, cue up my music etc. It helps quickly relieve engorgement before exercise while saving plenty of milk for baby to nurse.
@enealexandru It was more useful for me in the early months. I'm 6mo out, and I use it some mornings before work just to help empty more while baby feeds but I can only use it on one side. The other side developed a slow letdown and the haakaa gets nothing out of it. This wasn't always the case, it used to do well on both sides. I'd get 2-3 oz over a a couple sessions a day, then if I pumped once between feedings, I'd add it all up and get a solid bottle's worth of milk for the freezer stash.
@enealexandru Be careful with the haaka, it can make oversupply worse. It can also cause mastitis if not cleaned properly or due to the increase of your milk production on the side that baby isn’t feeding from. I used it a lot in the beginning and ditched it when I got mastitis per my lactation consultant’s recommendation.
@enealexandru I actually don't mind the red area on my non-nipple, because it gives my nipple a break. It's also great for catching the extra let down for slacker, AND, it's great for catching hand expression. I use both my haakaa and my spectra. They each have their place.
@enealexandru Haakas usually work really well if ur crazy engorged and prolly have oversupply and u literally don't have time to get a pump going or wash parts etc. Really easy for noise free and hand free collecting milk on one side when the other side is nursing baby.
