Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump Review
When I first saw the Haakaa Pump I was besotted. I know, how do you get besotted by a breast pump? For me, it was all about the potential it held to a gentle approach of expressing in the first weeks of breastfeeding, and the harmonious relationship it might support between mother and baby in regards to the natural rhythm of demand and supply.
More and more, in the first few days of breastfeeding mothers are advised to use an electric pump to so-called ‘bring in their milk.’ In my mind, there seems to be an illogical teaching that we must rush the natural process of demand and supply to make sure breastfeeding is followed through on. But while the advice is well-meaning for this purpose, it often, unfortunately has the adverse effect.
The strength of demand from an electric pump is quite strong compared to some newborns whom also have rests between sucks and slow down as they become full, unlike the electric pump. This kind of early stimulation may progress the natural development of supply for the mother at a rate that is above the newborns needs, leading to an oversupply and engorgement – not a pleasant scenario. When engorged it is often difficult for the baby to latch, and the flow of milk can be quite fast causing them to gulp in more air. This, and the fact that the baby doesn’t learn how to suck hard enough to demand a supply that is conducive to their natural capabilities and capacities, can lead to a lazy suck for the baby, painful breastfeeding for mother, a higher rate of sleep deprivation because baby sleeps less from the trapped wind passing through the digestive tract which in turn, may impact on breastfeeding rates.
So how does the Haakaa Pump fit into all of this? For me, the gentle approach of the Haakaa Silicon Breast Pump helps mothers and babies avoid the described negative effects that the electric breast pump can cause. Don’t get me wrong, in some cases the electric pump is greatly needed - even though I still feel we could teach mother’s how to use them more effectively e.g. expressing in accordance with the baby’s age and stage of their digestive biology.
The Haakaa Silicon Pump however, has a gentler suction that tenderly stimulates supply in a manner that still allows the baby to determine demand and build-up their sucking mechanism strength. In my opinion the Haakaa Pump harmoniously works alongside the baby’s innate breastfeeding relationship, stimulating the let-down of colostrum and fore and hind milk easily, without ‘calling-in’ too much for both baby and mum. The Haakaa Pump is truly an inspirational way to work alongside nature’s gifts, which is why of course I love, love, love them since we are all about that within BabyCues service.
Add to this that the Haakaa Pump is ideal for travelling, easy to clean and is BPA, PVC and Phthalate free, and you can see why I didn’t hesitate in adding this pump to The Pudding Clubs shopping list for our attending expectant parents. I believe Haakaa have created a pump that is both versatile, safe but most of all, respectful to our newborns innate reflexes. Well done Haakaa! Your pump is an excellent addition to the breastfeeding tool box, especially in the early days of breastfeeding.
More information about the pump can be found here.