Your Silicone Pump
Do you have a Haakaa, or another silicone pump? It is possibly the most popular breastfeeding tool around!
Here are three of my favorite uses for your Haakaa:
Put it on briefly before latching to help relieve engorgement if your breasts are too hard for baby to latch onto. A firm, full breast is difficult for baby to get a good grip of.
Put it on during feeding to collect the milk from the opposite side. My favorite way to do this is to feed baby, offer the second side, and when baby is on the second side, put the haakaa on that first side to collect some extra “dessert.” If you feel that you need to use the Haakaa to catch your letdown, put it on without extra suction and take it off when the letdown is over. You don’t want the Haakaa to take a lot of milk that the baby can have access to when you switch sides!
Use it for cup feeding. Don’t tip it into baby’s mouth, just let baby lap it up as it touches his lips. This is a great way to get extra calories into baby when they’re working on effective breastfeeding. Ask your IBCLC to show you how!
Things to consider:
If you have an oversupply, use caution when using your Haakaa. Remember, the more milk you are removing, the more milk you are making. The more you squeeze the bottom of the Haakaa, the more suction is applied. So if you want to use it to truly just catch the letdown but do not want to remove any extra milk, then apply it with very little suction and take it off after that initial letdown is over.
As your milk supply regulates over the first several weeks of baby’s life, you may not collect as much milk with the Haakaa. That is ok and normal! Your body is making what baby needs and you don’t need to fill up a container in addition to feeding the baby.
If you have more questions about how it works or need more tips about how to use it, I have two Instagram videos where I chat more silicone pumps. You can access them here and here!