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Recently I've been hearing more and more good reviews about Haaka breast pump.
A lot of moms swears by it in the forum and Facebook group.
They said that Haakaa has helped them to collect more milk effortlessly.
Is that true?
Being curious, I am gathering a lot of info about this little pump and share with you in this Haakaa breast pump review.
More...
This post is part of PUMPING AT WORK series. Other articles in this series.
- A Breastfeeding Mom’s Guide To Returning To Work After Maternity Leave
- How to build breast milk stash before returning to work
- 7 Ways To Collect Breast Milk With Haakaa
- How to Collect Breast Milk With Haakaa Even If You Don’t Leak
- How much breast milk stash do you need | A case study
- How to freeze breast milk | 10 Things You Need To Know
- How to rotate breast milk stash
- How to thaw and warm frozen breast milk
- Breast milk storage systems | Milk Bag vs Bottle, Which One To Choose
- 10 tips on introducing bottle to breastfed babies
- How to maintain milk supply at work
- 30+ pumping hacks for working moms
Haakaa Breast Pump Reviews
First of all..
What is Haakaa Breast Pump?
Haakaa is a one-piece breast pump that can serve as your milk collector as well as a manual breast pump.
Once you latch Haakaa pump to your breast, it will draw your milk out with no-effort from you.
It is completely hands-free, i.e. you don't need to repeatedly squeeze it to draw the milk out.
This little pump is a truly game changer because you can collect extra milk easily!
How to use Haakaa breast pump
1. Center the pump flange around your nipple.
2. Apply suction by gently squeeze the bottom part of Haakaa.
2. Put it onto your breast, centering on your nipple-areola.
3. Release your hand.
4. Haakaa will now stay in place and applying pressure to your breast. If you are leaking or had initiated let-down, your milk will flow immediately.
5. Otherwise, you need to stimulate let down reflex first. You can either squeeze Haakaa a few times until you get your let down or use other ways to stimulate let-down. If you are using this while nursing your baby, just relax. Your baby will initiate the let-down for you, you don't need to do anything.
6. You may need to do some trial and error in the beginning to find the most comfortable position to put your Haakaa on.
Why moms love to use Haakaa
1. It is one-piece pump, thus very easy to clean, no fiddling with a lot of pump parts. When most of your time are spent nursing and taking care of your newborn, you will appreciate how easy it is to use (no tubings, valve, flange to take care of), no bulk amount of cleaning at the end of the day).
2. No complicated setting to choose from. Unlike electric breast pump in which you need to figure out which suction level you need to use in order to drain your breast effectively, Haaka is very simple to use. No button, not even a continuous hand squeezing is needed.
3. Very quiet. You can use this while your baby is sleeping in the middle of the night, or while out in a restaurant, in the workplace, and even in the aeroplane. No squeaky sound (just like some manual pump does) or noisy motor from your electric breast pump.
4. Made of food-grade silicone materials, not hard flange, and thus, feels so much comfortable. The softness of its material resembles Avent massage cushion, yet it is giving a decent suction to your breast to draw the milk out.
5. Very compact and small. Whether you are using this at home, or planning to use it while out and about, you'll love how small Haakaa is and you can just keep it inside your purse because it is so small. See the picture below how Haakaa stands side by side with my Mi phone (as big as IPhone 6).
6. Very affordable! This is retailed at less than $20! Such a cheap price for the advantages that you will get.
Are you trying to build your freezer stash but only getting less than 1 oz each time? Click here to learn how my friend collected up to 300 oz even though she only got 0.1-1 oz each time.
What Moms Dislike About Haakaa:
1. Inaccurate ounce marking. Don't trust Haakaa's reading about how much milk you get. Some moms mentioned that Haakaa showed 3 oz while after transfer they only get 2 oz of milk.
2. Easy to tumble down. Because of the narrow base, it is easy to spill milk from Haakaa if you don't directly transfer it to bottle.
A quick fix for this:
- Use Haakaa's flower stopper or leak-proof silicone lid to cover your Haakaa if you don't plan to transfer right after pumping.
- Buy the newer version of Haakaa (5 oz capacity with wider-suction base)
Now, comes the interesting part...
How Haakaa can help you collect more milk:
1. To collect leaks when you are nursing your baby on one side (tandem feeding and Haaka).
This is especially true in the early weeks whereby you want to focus your effort to breastfeed your baby and not spending too much time fiddling with the pump (and washing numerous pump parts).
Once your baby get a good latch and nurse comfortably, stick your Haakaa on the other breast.
Your baby will stimulate let-down for you and thus it is easier to readily collect milk with Haakaa.
By not doing serious pumping in the early days, you are unlikely to get oversupply problem such as clogged ducts and mastitis.
2. Tandem pumping with a single electric breast pump.
Not all mothers respond well to a double electric breast pump.
And secondly, not all mothers can afford to buy a double electric breast pump. If you are using a single electric pump on regular basis (e.g. For pumping in the workplace), it is a good idea to use Haaka as you pump the other side of the breast, then switch side.
You will be pumping faster and not wasting any possible milk leak from the let-down you get.
3. Tandem hand-expression and Haakaa. Some moms prefer to express milk by hand only. In this case, using Haakaa at the other side of the breast helps to collect milk faster (compared to if you only do hand-express for both breast).
4. To relieve engorgement while nursing in the middle of the night or early in the morning. If you are the type of moms who are easily engorged and need to pump even after your baby finished nursing, you should try using Haakaa. It eliminates the need to fiddle with your pump in the middle of the night when you are soo sleepy (how good is that!)
5. To build breast milk stash without the need of using electric breast pump. Imagine..
If you just stick Haakaa to your other breast while nursing your baby and get total 2 oz daily, in just 4 weeks, you will be able to accumulate 56 oz of milk, no extra pumping required!
RELATED
- How to build breast milk stash before going back to work | The Ultimate Guide (you can sign up for my bootcamp, too)
- A complete breastfeeding mother's guide to returning to work after maternity leave (from pumping, preparing your baby to take expressed milk, and more!)
- Top 10 breast pumping tips for beginners
6. Remove clogged ducts/ milk bleb.
Recently I’ve seen Instagram post by legendairymilk on how to remove clogged duct / milk bleb using Haakaa and epsom salt.
Here are the steps:
- Warm compress the affected breast for 15 mins
- Fill in Haaakaa with warm water and Epsom salt then latch onto the affected breast
- Sometimes, the clog can be released right away, and sometimes you need to do this several times a day to get it work.
- You may also pump on the non-affected breast to encourage let-down and milk flow. This will help the clog gets sucked out faster.
Some moms have tried this trick and able to solve their clogged duct problem. Once the clogged duct removed, pump the affected breast to remove the milk. Yayy.
RELATED: 10 Ways To Resolve Clogged Milk Ducts
7.Use Haakaa while showering
Do you usually feel let down while showering? A lot of moms get let-down when having a warm shower. In this case, why not collect those milk drops with Haakaa? Some moms even use two Haakaas to get these milk drops. What a smart move!
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By doing one or a few of what I mentioned here, you will be surprised to see how much you can get with Haakaa.
Do you know?
My friend was able to store up to 20 bags of breast milk stash within 6 weeks postpartum just by using Haaka while feeding her baby.
Doesn't it sound easy?
Now, come some concerns about how Haakaa works.
Is Haakaa breast pump only to collect leaks?
If you normally leaks, then yes, Haaka will be very helpful to collect those leaks for you and even some more, because it applies a little bit of pressure.
I've heard moms collecting up to 5 oz by tandem nursing and using Haaka for the other breast.
What if you don't leak? Can you still use Haakaa pump?
It depends.
Some moms are still able to collect milk even if they don't leak.
The key here is to stimulate your let-down first before expecting the milk to flow.
If you just stick it to your breast without let-down, you will get nothing. This is similar just like when you use an electric breast pump.
Having said this, I've read other review saying that she's not able to get any milk with Haaka.
I'm not sure whether this is because she has not achieved any let-down yet or simply because Haaka does not work for her.
UPDATE: Yes,you can use Haakaa even though you don't leak. I'm the proof. Check out my experience here (including tips how to succeed collecting milk with Haakaa).
Can Haakaa silicon pump work for small chested woman (e.g. 32A)?
Yes, I've tried it and it applies a good pressure to my breast, not easily falling off.
How Haakaa compared to a manual breast pump?
With Haakaa you don't need to continuously squeeze your pump handle (big win!)
Once it applies suction to your breast, it will extract milk on its own.
Of course, you can further encourage more flow by massaging your breast.
PS: If you need a manual breast pump as a back-up pump, you need to choose one that can effectively drain your breast. Here's my recommendation.
How Haakaa performs compared to an electric breast pump?
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.
A lot of moms who own both an electric breast pump and Haakaa said that she never use the electric pump at home because it is so convenient to just use Haaka at home to pump one breast while feeding the baby on the other side.
Save time for pumping and cleaning.
Haakaa 2nd generation vs 3rd generation
Now, Haakaa has come up with latest generation (3rd generation) in which you can unscrew the 'bottle' part and attach a teat for direct feeding. Is this better than the one-piece 2nd generation?
Haakaa Gen 2 | Haakaa Gen 3 |
|---|---|
  |   |
Here's some things you should consider when planning to get 3rd generation Haakaa:
- it is no longer one-piece pump thus cleaning may take more time
- easier if you want to feed your baby directly
- the bottle part is heavier and thus may not be securely attached to your breast for long time
- harder to squeeze (means harder to apply suction): can be a challenge to collect milk for those not naturally leaking milk
So, my personal recommendation is, get the 2nd gen first and if you feel happy with its performance, you can try 3rd generation, too.
Haakaa vs other silicon breast pump brands
I noticed there are several silicone breast pump brand that looks very similar to Haaakaa.
Is there any difference between them?
I know for sure that Haakaa is more expensive (I.e. double the price of non-Haakaa brand).
But surely Haakaa has its own pros:
- it is made from softer silicon material (think of massage cushion that usually comes with Avent breast pump, it is that flexible).
- it is lighter (in terms of weight)
- you can choose which capacity that you want (old Haakaa is 3 oz, while the new Haakaa can store up to 5 oz).
I know several moms who used non-Haakaa brand and they are still happy with their result.
But overall, Haaaka breast pump has a lot more reviews compared to its competitors.
PS: if you are looking for a cheaper alternative, this one has more than 1000+ reviews.
A Final Thought | Who is Haaaka breast pump for?
- A stay at home mom who wants to have a emergency stash without investing on a big-expensive pump.
- A mom who's soon returning to work and want to start building freezer stash.
- A mom who only has a single electric breast pump and want to save more time by doing tandem Haakaa - single electric (just like you saw in the video above).
- A mom who does not respond well to electric breast pump (yes, those moms doing tandem hand expression and Haaka that I mentioned above are working moms).
- A working mom who still pump at home and want to have an easy and quick to use breast pump rather than using her electric breast pump all the time.
PS: if you need to establish your milk supply (i.e. going from mixed feeding to exclusive breastfeeding, this is not for you. Get a heavy-duty double electric breast pump! Here are my top five recommendations.
Now, if you are convinced that Haakaa is worth buying, the next question is...
Where to Get Haakaa?
1. Amazon (this is the easiest option for those staying in USA, Canada, UK)
2. Lazada / Shopee or other baby shops (for those in Singapore / Malaysia / Indonesia)
I hope this info gives you a better idea how you can use Haaaka breast pump to collect more milk easily and addressing some concerns you may have about Haakaa.
If you are still having questions about Haakaa breast pump, do check out the Q&A section in Amazon. It is very helpful because you can get answers very quickly from those who have purchased and tried Haakaa personally.
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Have you used Haakaa or similar silicon breast pump?
Does this pump work for you? Share your result with us!
Fiza says
Assalammualailum
Syukur alhamdulillah. im so happy to find this blog. Since im a new mom and is ambitious to bf my son,i find your blog is inspiring. Thank you so much.
well talking about Hakaa. I super love it!! I bought it when i was around 7month pregnant. A few weeks before giving birth my husband bought Medela Swing so ive been using it ever since i delivered my baby. Not that i dont wanna use Hakaa but im a bit clueless on how to use it. Yes funny right? Long story short,when my baby reached one month,ill face several leakings per day especially during pumping. You know well how priceless ever drop is,right??so ive decided to try Hakaa one last time to collect and also so that i can tandem pumping with my medela and guess what? that time it worked!! After using it i finally realised that i responded well with Hakaa than my medela. i can pump more with hakaa. Normally i set 10oz per day. with Hakaa alone,i can collect 7-9oz.
ill keep using both hakaa and medela but my personal favourite now is Hakaa.
Rina says
wa’alaikumsalam warohmatullah,
yay for Haakaa. Thanks for sharing your story, sis.
I also didn’t respond well to swing and better responded to avent manual pump. Unfortunately, there was no Haakaa when I was pumping for my daughter.
Elaine says
Hi, what I’m confused about is, why would u pump out milk from 1 breast (with Hakaa) while nursing ur baby? Then baby won’t have enough milk right? A full feed for my baby requires feeding from both breasts. Can advice pls ?
Rina says
Haakaa won’t take away all the milk.
Even after using Haakaa, your baby can still get milk from your breast. It may take longer initially (because your breast keeps producing milk as long as given the stimulation – from Haakaa or baby), but the more consistent you do this, your breast will catch up and able to produce ample of milk for both baby and Haakaa.
If your baby is still too fussy after using Haakaa regularly, consider limiting the duration you put the Haakaa to your breast (say, only for the first 5-10mins).
Does this make sense?
Corinne says
My pediatrician recommended to me when I notice hunger cues to give her what I collected with the Haakaa. My initial reason of using it was to collect the milk I was losing due to let down while I was feeding. Now I use it more than my Spectra S9+,. When I feel a let down coming on I just grab it and it simply collect what I would be losing, I find that there is still plenty left for baby when I’m done.
Rina says
Hi Corinne,
Nice to know that Haakaa is working well for you =). I guess every breastfeeding mom should have one, it’s very easy to use (and definitely less parts to wash).
joy says
can haakaa be used on both the breast at the same time just like how someone would use a double electric pump??
Rina says
Hi, I haven’t tried it because I only use one. But in that case, you need to create your own let down first before it can extract the milk
KW says
Yes, you can use 2 Haakaas at once. Like mentioned above, you have to stimulate a letdown by squeezing bulb and massage breasts to get started but the suction will continue to pull out milk from then on. I collect anywhere from 5-8 oz at one time using this method.
Rina says
Wow…that’s impressive!
Alix says
Hi!
I’m in love with Haaka. I collect more from haaka than form the medela single breast pump.
Question about cleaning. Do I need to sterilise every time I want to use it?
Will washing with mild soap will be enough?
Thanks
Rina says
As with other pump accessories, you don’t need to sterilize it every time you use it.
Once a day will be enough. You can use boiling water or sterilizer.
Ruffa says
Initially, I thought all breast pumps are the same and that I only have to decide whether I get a manual or an electric one.
Rina says
Nowadays, there are so many breast pump models. quite confusing isn’t it? But essentially, you just need to decide which one that you need, no need to collect all.
Iane Basan says
Hi! So inspired by this… Just wana ask if i can combine collected milk together from couple of days pumping/expressing? Say i have collected an oz or 2 in a day, can i just store it in the fridge while it’s still little amount and then put it altogether (say 3 or 4 days) in a storage bag/bottle for a total of 6,7 or 8oz and store in the freezer for stash?
TIA
Rina says
Yes, you can. Just make sure to label it with the oldest date.
Also, rather than combining up to 6-8 oz, it’s better to store in a smaller portion just enough for one feeding, usually between 2-4 oz (depending on your baby’s age). This can minimize wastage as well.