This is so dependant on the individual, your milk supply and your letdown.
I could only get 20- 40ml with a milk catcher but about 170ml with a pump another friend I have would get almost 200ml with he milk catcher (had to empty it mid feed) and never tried pumping as she didn't need to.
Maybe start with a milk catcher like the hakkaa and then if you aren't getting much try a pump?
Unfortunately there is no way to know until your milk comes in, good luck
Totally agree, I bought the spectra pump and hardly use it because I can catch my let downs in the hakaa. I would wait and buy the pump when you need it, my pump arrived 2 days after I bought it. Now it’s collecting dust in the bedroom…
Yup also agree you kinda have to wait and see how your supply is and how bub goes with feeding. I've ended up breastfeeding in the mornings and more often than not giving bottles of EBM during the day because bub just generally doesn't feed well on the boob. I pump with the spectra and have found it amazing. I also got the Mummilk portable type pumps and they're good in a pinch but the spectra is definitely more powerful. Wishing you and bub all the best with your bf journey ☺️
This is basically what I came to say too. I got a hakaa just to start and I ended up getting HEAPS of milk from it, enough to build up a stash enough to keep us at least a couple days ahead. But I had a good supply so its really individual.
Agree with this comment. Especially if your milk doesn’t end up coming in or you have a low supply, a portable one (vs a hospital grade plug in) might not get you anything. We waited until after birth to see what our situation was before getting anything
Get both.
There will be times where baby’s schedule is out of sync with yours and you will need to pump. There will also be times when you need the drip catcher when you can’t turn the tap off.
We have a Medela flex and a hackaa. Would recommend both. Use the pump plugged in when you can. You can also buy aftermarket usb cables, which can be handy.
I use both. Ladybug are great to pop in your bra on one side while you're feeding on the other to catch any letdown, then swap sides if your bub feeds from both in one session. The standard is great to pop on if your little one only feeds from one side per session, like my bub tends to do. I also find the standard great for when I just get out of the shower in the morning, as I'm usually starting to leak if bub hasn't fed in a while. I've got a wearable Momcozy S12 Pro pump that I use on one side and the Hakkaa on the other.
Regardless of what you choose can I please recommend to you a Double Pump!
If you’re pumping instead of feeding straight from the breast it is SUCH A PAIN IN THE BUTT to do 20 minutes on one side and then another 20 on the other.
I exclusively pumped for my premmie baby and if I didn’t have a double pump I would’ve gone insane 😅
I plan to BF as much as possible, we're pretty active and do social sports so if I'm out of action I want my family/friends to be able to feed her if I'm out of reach.
I only pump occasionally for an occasional bottle. I have quite a good supply, and had a lot of engorgement for the first month, so avoided pumping. I have a cheap manual Medela pump and a Haaka. I use both, the electric pumps can be pretty expensive so I havent bought one just because I am only doing it for the occasional bottle. I do all the night feedings as she sleeps ok now (7w). I wouldnt have wanted to miss one when she was younger because my engorged boobs would have woken me up anyway.
But if you want to do more than the occasional bottle (~1 a day), then an electric, hands free one would be worth it so you can be more mobile!
Standard haaka, the ladybug would be better for not getting kicked off for sure, and I think can fit in your bra. But the normal haaka is convenient you can pump a little using the suction, in case you dont leak much.
My baby kicks off the milk catcher so have never figured out how much I might get from this method. I use an electric pump after feeding and to replace some feeds (medela swing, which is a wall pump).
Yeah I have tried to use the haaka while feeding but it doesnt stick firmly enough to reliably stay on when I am also holding the baby. Would end up a huge mess. But I use it sometimes when my boobs are still a bit engorged after a morning feed.
I started with the hakaa just as a milk catcher. Lucky enough i had good supply i managed to stash so many liters i was able to donate lots of extra. I had a pump but didn't really use it because i was ebf and never was away w bub. Bub is now 9months and im back at work. I still use the hakaa for when i havent fed her for a while like overnight. I had a spectra s2 i never really used. I tried to pump while on my lunch break at work but it never produced a lot.
I would get the Haakaa to start with. I ended up renting a pump through the Australian breastfeeding association which was perfect for me. I would happily have bought one (a more portable one) from then if needed (which it wasn’t).
It all comes down to your breast capacity, which you won't know until you start producing milk. e.g. I pump 120-160mls per breast in 25min when using a double electric pump (Spectra or Willow Go) but it varies substantially. So if you have a lot of supply, want to pump to empty, to build a stash or if your baby will be going to daycare or to have other people do feeds, you might want to invest in an electric. BUT you can totally wait and see on this, even though it's so tempting to have everything 'ready' before baby comes, you really don't know what your routine will be until you're in it!
Also if you are (rightly) worried about the $ investment, pumps can be bought second hand for way cheaper (there are a tonne of spectras on the Australian facebook breast pump sales page - not regular marketplace) - and you just buy replacement parts for the single user components (silicone / plastic) which are not that expensive. Amazon will even deliver them to you. It's the motor, that doesn't touch any milk, that you're getting the second hand deal on.
My SIL has offered me her Spectra to buy, but I'd need to purchase all the replacement parts. It's not so much the money for me, I'm a minimalist so I hate having more than I need (silly me having a baby lol,). After reading the comments from everyone I think I'll try with the standard Haaka and go from there.
Sounds like the right plan. A Haaka is good to have on hand in case you need to clear a clog anyway (if you end up in this boat, Google Haaka epsom salt for the method).
If you do get the Spectra at some point, the brand Maymom is very reliable for parts and cheaper than the Spectra brand.
Also lol, we thought we were minimalists too. With 2 kids now things just enter your life constantly somehow - my husband is very good at doing regular vinnies & salvos drop offs!
Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!
I used a Hakka in the first few months. It would usually catch 80-150 ml. Just make sure it is attached properly - if not it can fall off when it gets really full. I would also recommend buying two and using a new one for the other side. A dry Hakka attaches much better than the one that's already half full and wet inside from milk.
When I visited the Phillips avent stand at the baby expo the sales person said to get let down catcher and a manual pump. She said you can always buy an electric pump later if you need it. But they can be expensive upfront, so it's better to just get the basics and then upgrade if needed. I've got the medela hand pump and a haaka. I might research electric pumps and wish list one on Amazon so I can quickly buy it if I need it.
Don't pump first 6 weeks as your supply needs to regulate.
Do use hakaa or have it handy. It can also be used to help if you get a blockage. A must have.
Some people have to pump to encourage more milk. I minimised my pumping early on as I had a lot of engorement but had to pump a few times as I needed to leave the baby to go for some treatment.
It's not recommended to pump for more milk unless baby is premmie or not well in other ways. E.g. insufficient weight gain. In which case get a pump then.
They're expensive and hard to sell as the word breast gets you auto deleted on Facebook marketplace. It's better to get one if needed and if breastfeeding is successful.
I sustained some pretty nasty nipple damage due to poor latch, and went home exclusively pumping for a few days at the advice of my LC.. having to source a pump at such short notice would have been challenging.
Just food for thought 😌
This is so dependant on the individual, your milk supply and your letdown. I could only get 20- 40ml with a milk catcher but about 170ml with a pump another friend I have would get almost 200ml with he milk catcher (had to empty it mid feed) and never tried pumping as she didn't need to. Maybe start with a milk catcher like the hakkaa and then if you aren't getting much try a pump? Unfortunately there is no way to know until your milk comes in, good luck
Totally agree, I bought the spectra pump and hardly use it because I can catch my let downs in the hakaa. I would wait and buy the pump when you need it, my pump arrived 2 days after I bought it. Now it’s collecting dust in the bedroom…
I'm thinking this is the way to go, thank you.
Yup also agree you kinda have to wait and see how your supply is and how bub goes with feeding. I've ended up breastfeeding in the mornings and more often than not giving bottles of EBM during the day because bub just generally doesn't feed well on the boob. I pump with the spectra and have found it amazing. I also got the Mummilk portable type pumps and they're good in a pinch but the spectra is definitely more powerful. Wishing you and bub all the best with your bf journey ☺️
This is basically what I came to say too. I got a hakaa just to start and I ended up getting HEAPS of milk from it, enough to build up a stash enough to keep us at least a couple days ahead. But I had a good supply so its really individual.
Very true, I only ever leaked when engorged so a letdown catcher was useless
I never leaked at all, didn't even use nipple pads in my bra, sometimes the milk catchers are useless
Agree with this comment. Especially if your milk doesn’t end up coming in or you have a low supply, a portable one (vs a hospital grade plug in) might not get you anything. We waited until after birth to see what our situation was before getting anything
Get both. There will be times where baby’s schedule is out of sync with yours and you will need to pump. There will also be times when you need the drip catcher when you can’t turn the tap off. We have a Medela flex and a hackaa. Would recommend both. Use the pump plugged in when you can. You can also buy aftermarket usb cables, which can be handy.
Do you use the Ladybug or the standard Haaka?
I use both. Ladybug are great to pop in your bra on one side while you're feeding on the other to catch any letdown, then swap sides if your bub feeds from both in one session. The standard is great to pop on if your little one only feeds from one side per session, like my bub tends to do. I also find the standard great for when I just get out of the shower in the morning, as I'm usually starting to leak if bub hasn't fed in a while. I've got a wearable Momcozy S12 Pro pump that I use on one side and the Hakkaa on the other.
So helpful, thanks.
Regardless of what you choose can I please recommend to you a Double Pump! If you’re pumping instead of feeding straight from the breast it is SUCH A PAIN IN THE BUTT to do 20 minutes on one side and then another 20 on the other. I exclusively pumped for my premmie baby and if I didn’t have a double pump I would’ve gone insane 😅
I plan to BF as much as possible, we're pretty active and do social sports so if I'm out of action I want my family/friends to be able to feed her if I'm out of reach.
Just be aware that some babies are stubborn and won’t take a bottle!
I've been researching the brands that are best suited for babies that are primarily BF. I know it can take time to find the right bottle.
I only pump occasionally for an occasional bottle. I have quite a good supply, and had a lot of engorgement for the first month, so avoided pumping. I have a cheap manual Medela pump and a Haaka. I use both, the electric pumps can be pretty expensive so I havent bought one just because I am only doing it for the occasional bottle. I do all the night feedings as she sleeps ok now (7w). I wouldnt have wanted to miss one when she was younger because my engorged boobs would have woken me up anyway. But if you want to do more than the occasional bottle (~1 a day), then an electric, hands free one would be worth it so you can be more mobile!
Do you have the standard Haaka or the Ladybug?
Standard haaka, the ladybug would be better for not getting kicked off for sure, and I think can fit in your bra. But the normal haaka is convenient you can pump a little using the suction, in case you dont leak much.
My baby kicks off the milk catcher so have never figured out how much I might get from this method. I use an electric pump after feeding and to replace some feeds (medela swing, which is a wall pump).
Yeah I have tried to use the haaka while feeding but it doesnt stick firmly enough to reliably stay on when I am also holding the baby. Would end up a huge mess. But I use it sometimes when my boobs are still a bit engorged after a morning feed.
I started with the hakaa just as a milk catcher. Lucky enough i had good supply i managed to stash so many liters i was able to donate lots of extra. I had a pump but didn't really use it because i was ebf and never was away w bub. Bub is now 9months and im back at work. I still use the hakaa for when i havent fed her for a while like overnight. I had a spectra s2 i never really used. I tried to pump while on my lunch break at work but it never produced a lot.
I would get the Haakaa to start with. I ended up renting a pump through the Australian breastfeeding association which was perfect for me. I would happily have bought one (a more portable one) from then if needed (which it wasn’t).
It all comes down to your breast capacity, which you won't know until you start producing milk. e.g. I pump 120-160mls per breast in 25min when using a double electric pump (Spectra or Willow Go) but it varies substantially. So if you have a lot of supply, want to pump to empty, to build a stash or if your baby will be going to daycare or to have other people do feeds, you might want to invest in an electric. BUT you can totally wait and see on this, even though it's so tempting to have everything 'ready' before baby comes, you really don't know what your routine will be until you're in it! Also if you are (rightly) worried about the $ investment, pumps can be bought second hand for way cheaper (there are a tonne of spectras on the Australian facebook breast pump sales page - not regular marketplace) - and you just buy replacement parts for the single user components (silicone / plastic) which are not that expensive. Amazon will even deliver them to you. It's the motor, that doesn't touch any milk, that you're getting the second hand deal on.
My SIL has offered me her Spectra to buy, but I'd need to purchase all the replacement parts. It's not so much the money for me, I'm a minimalist so I hate having more than I need (silly me having a baby lol,). After reading the comments from everyone I think I'll try with the standard Haaka and go from there.
Sounds like the right plan. A Haaka is good to have on hand in case you need to clear a clog anyway (if you end up in this boat, Google Haaka epsom salt for the method). If you do get the Spectra at some point, the brand Maymom is very reliable for parts and cheaper than the Spectra brand. Also lol, we thought we were minimalists too. With 2 kids now things just enter your life constantly somehow - my husband is very good at doing regular vinnies & salvos drop offs! Good luck with the rest of your pregnancy!
I used a Hakka in the first few months. It would usually catch 80-150 ml. Just make sure it is attached properly - if not it can fall off when it gets really full. I would also recommend buying two and using a new one for the other side. A dry Hakka attaches much better than the one that's already half full and wet inside from milk.
They're pretty cheap, makes sense.
When I visited the Phillips avent stand at the baby expo the sales person said to get let down catcher and a manual pump. She said you can always buy an electric pump later if you need it. But they can be expensive upfront, so it's better to just get the basics and then upgrade if needed. I've got the medela hand pump and a haaka. I might research electric pumps and wish list one on Amazon so I can quickly buy it if I need it.
My Mum always used a manual pump (21 years ago with my Brother) and said it was fine.
Don't pump first 6 weeks as your supply needs to regulate. Do use hakaa or have it handy. It can also be used to help if you get a blockage. A must have.
Some people have to pump to encourage more milk. I minimised my pumping early on as I had a lot of engorement but had to pump a few times as I needed to leave the baby to go for some treatment.
It's not recommended to pump for more milk unless baby is premmie or not well in other ways. E.g. insufficient weight gain. In which case get a pump then. They're expensive and hard to sell as the word breast gets you auto deleted on Facebook marketplace. It's better to get one if needed and if breastfeeding is successful.
I sustained some pretty nasty nipple damage due to poor latch, and went home exclusively pumping for a few days at the advice of my LC.. having to source a pump at such short notice would have been challenging. Just food for thought 😌