The Haakaa has gained a bit of a cult following due to its amazing ability to catch letdown - precious milk that would otherwise be wasted in a breast pad. You can rest assured that your Haakaa will never let you down when it comes to letdown. But is that its only function? Absolutely not! 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.

Again, lots of variables. It really depends how you're using it. When you're just using it to catch your letdown, it's still using strong continuous suction so it likely will draw out more than just the milk that would have come out from your letdown anyway. You'll know by how much milk you're getting. If you were purely getting letdown, it wouldn't affect your supply by much, but beyond that - it will increase your supply. Breastmilk works on supply and demand, the more you take, the more your body makes. And that's the same for any kind of breast pump.

Make sure that your nipple is not touching the silicone at all, because if it does, it may hurt. This is especially true if you are pumping to rest your nipples that are sore from nursing. Avoid putting them under any unnecessary pressure.

Haakaa's way of pumping milk is different from regular manual or electric pumps which press and release repeatedly. With the Haakaa, the suction is continuous so you need to check it is attached comfortably and adjust it if not.  

Have you tried a stronger suction?

Sometimes, when our bodies are constantly changing after the birth of our babies, the suction strength needed changes as well.When attaching, do you fold the flange back, squeeze the bottom of the pump, centre it onto your nipple, unfold the flange and release? This is the most effective way of attaching. The more you squeeze the bottom of the pump, the stronger the suction will be. Another tip would be to assist your breast by holding or cupping it in one hand while attaching the pump in the other so you can really get a centre onto your breast and allow the pump to grasp a bigger area.  If you find none of these tips work and it still won't suction on properly, it may be that the silicone material has worn and lost its suction. Sometimes this can happen depending how often it is used and sterilised, as well as the method of how it's washed and sterilised – the more you sterilise your pump, the faster it will lose its suction. Some mums find they need to replace their pumps after a few months while others have theirs for years. It really differs for each person based on each of those factors!

To give you a little information, all of our pumps work off suction and have the same size flange.

Generation 1 - 100ml one-peice silicone pump with no suction base.

Generation 2 - 100ml or 150ml one-piece silicone with suction base.

Generation 3 - 160ml or 250ml with thicker silicone walks and a slightly stronger suction. Can be interchanged from a pump to a baby bottle, feeding spoon, sippy spout or even a storage container.

Many mums love our Gen 1 and Gen 2 pumps for their compact, lightweight, single piece constructon. Alternatively, ths Gen 3 pump features a thick silicone body that is perfect for mums looking for a stronger level of suction from their pump. We designed the Gen 3 range to be future proof and added over time, growing with a baby from breastfeeding to their solids journey and behind as they gain more independence and confidence to self-feed.

As for accessories, the Silicone Flower Stopper is used to seal milk in and prevent spills. The Silicone Cap acts as both a dust cap and a stopper. It creates a stronger seal around the flange and prevents spills, which is greater for when you are on the go, and protects the flange from any nasties it comes into contact with. Another great feature of the silicone lid is that it ha a little opening flap on the top that releases air once you place it on the pump, to allow for an even tigher seal. The Breast Pump Strap keeps the pump around your neck so that it doesn't fall or get kicked off when you're expressing.

We recommend expressing while feeding baby on the other side as it stimulates the other breast. If you are not nursing, try putting a warm wash cloth on top of your breast and massaging it to induce your milk flow. Every mother and her milk supply are different so don't be disheartened if you are not getting as much as another mum!

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. It is as simple as suctioning on the pump and allowing the suction to gradually and naturally draw the milk from your breast. All that would be required is a let-down. This is where we recommend feeding baby on the other side as it naturally triggers your letdown. Alternatively, if you are away from your baby, you can gently massage your breast with your hand or place a warm washcloth on your breast to help your milk begin to flow.

It sounds like you may have too much suction strength on as it shouldn't be painful on your nipples at all. WHen attaching, simply squeeze the bottom of the pump, place it over the nipple and release. Keep in mind that the more you squeeze the bottom of the pump, the stronger the suction will be. As our bodies are constantly changing after giving birth, the level of suction may change and you may be required to trial and error what suction is best suited to your needs.

Unlike an electric pump that has several different sized flanges, the Haakaa pump is a one-size-fits all. This is because the flange is fully made from soft flexible silicone.

Clean your Haakaa after each use using hot soapy water. Use soft bristle brushes or sponges. We recommend the Haakaa Double Ended Cleaning Brush which is perfectly sized to throughly clean your Haakaa products.

We recommend sterilising your Haakaa products using any steam sterilising system or by boiling in water for 2-3 minutes.

Do not use UV sterilisers to clean this product as it may impact its lifespan.

We strongly recommend not using any bleach-based agents or sterilising tablets to clean your Haakaa products as it can affect the clarity of your product. Although your products might become cloudy after using detergent to wash them, silicone does not leach and it is still completely safe to use. If you are still concerned, you can sterilise your pump again by boiling in water, just to be safe!

The easiest and simplest way to sterilise silicone is to simply boil in water for 2-3 minutes. If you use a UV steriliser, you may end up reducing the lifespan of your product which can eventually cause the silicone to become sticky and unusable over time. For these reasons, we do not advise using UV sterilisers for your Haakaa silicone products.

Bleach-based cleaners can reduce the lifespan of your silicone products and cause them to become sticky and unusable. If your products still look and feel fine after briefly coming in contact with a bleach-based cleaner, then they are still safe for you to use. If you feel unsure, you can always sterilise your products by boiling in water for 2-3 minutes.

Silicone is an absorbent material and can absorb the colours and smells of substances it comes in contact with. Although your silicone products can go in the dishwasher, we recommend hand washing with hot, soapy water. To sterilise, we recommend boiling in water for 2-3 minutes of using a steam steriliser.

We strongly recommend not using any bleach-based agents or sterilising tablets to clean your Haakaa products as it can affect the clarity of your product. Although your products might become cloudy after using detergent to wash them, silicone does not leach and it is still completely safe to use. If you are still concerned, you can sterilise your pump again by boiling in water, just to be safe!

Some mums have said that boiling the pump in water with a touch of white vinegar can help improve the clarity of the pump, so you may wish to give this a go.

It really comes donw to preference. In the first three months after baby is born, it is recommended to sterilise your pump and all baby bottles that are used after every use. After this time, some mums continue to do so and others tend to wash their pumps with hot soapy water after every use and sterilise after a couple of uses. It depends on what makes you most comfortable and what works for you!

Please note that the following instructions only refer to products made entirely out of silicone and do not refer to products containing any other materials. The cleaning methods may not be suitable for non-silicone products.

To clean silicone, just give them a good scrub in hot soapy water and then rinse. Pat the outside dry and leave to air dry on a drying rack. BUT, if you are in a rush to re-use them, just pop them in the microwave for 2-4 minutes (stopping them halfway to turn them over) and they'll come out completely dry!

The Haakaa Double Ended Silicone Brush is super handy when it comes to cleaning silicone items. It's soft silicone bristles easily remove leftover food and milk without scratching silicone surfaces.

Sometimes silicone can act like a magnet and attract its surroundings or absorb smells, colours etc. We suggest handwashing the breast pump under hot soapy water with a slightly rough sponge and gently scrubbing the exterior. This usually helps!