Help with the Hakka

[MintGreenLife]

Just started using the Hakka today as finding breastfeeding really difficult at 12 weeks and hoping being able to offer a bottle of expressed milk will help. A few questions…

• does it need to be sterilised after every single use?
• I’m boiling it as per the instructions to sterilise, but it seems to be catching slightly and going brown on the edges, is this normal?!
• when using it after removing my nipple had gone slightly blue! Again, normal, or a cause for concern?

Thanks x

Hi, yes it needs to be sterilised after every use if you are going to save that milk for the baby. Mine never caught or went brown so sounds like something is going wrong there, maybe you need a bigger pan so it can float. Also it sounds like your nipple might be positioned to the side when it's on, I've had similar but it doesn't happen when I made sure my nipple was central. Hopefully that's helpful and congratulations on your baby :)

You don't have to sterilise a pump after every use, no.

I'm not familiar with the Hakka or nipples turning blue.

If you are struggling generally, I'd give one of the BFing Helplines a call. They should be able to talk to you about any struggles you're having and the reasons why your nipples might be turning blue.

Have you got the Helpline numbers @MintGreenLife?

I used a Hakka and I found it confusing as no actual advice on cleaning!!

I sterilised once a day and then washed in warm soapy water in between uses. That's what the hospital told me to do when I was pumping so I figured if a pump doesn't need sterilising every time for a brand new baby, then surely the Hakka doesn't.

You definitely do not need to sterilise it.

Breasts aren't sterile, Breastmilk isn't sterile...
I was doing that until my cousin pointed it out to me and then i felt a fool. Hot soapy water is sufficient.

Hot soapy water is fine. You don't need to sterilise for breast milk (NHS still say so but they're a bit out of date on this one).

I don't know about the blue nipple thing but I recommend you YouTube a video of how to use it because I was just like squeezing it in then putting it on my breast but I then watched a video and the woman turned it almost inside out and then it kind of flipped the right way once on the boob.

Tbh I think I used it three times and then switched to a medala hospital grade breast pump. It was great and I'm planning to use it again for no. 2.

Also I never had much luck with the Hakaa but I responded really well to a manual or electric pump instead.

No need to sterilise anything for use with breast milk if baby was full term and healthy. Warm soapy water is perfect.

Nipple going blue doesn't sound right is it too tight, is it small fitting for your areolas/nipples? What way do you put it on?

Is your nipple sort of catching on it when you put it on and sticking to the side? It shouldn't. Can you try to get it more central?

(I did sterilise mine but just used a normal steriliser which is much easier than boiling, but it sounds like even that was overkill from the other replies)

Sorry then OP, ignore my post as it seems that I have wasted alot of time sterilising

When I had DD in 2019, it was new advice in Scotland re: not sterilising, and only some of the midwives/HVs seemed to know about it. It's on the Scottish parents' website but not the main NHS one.

www.parentclub.scot/articles/breast-milk-storage-and-bottle-hygiene

I wash it at night and then put it in the microwave steriliser now and again if it's going on anyway.

Whenever I boil the kettle for a cuppa, I pour boiling water in the hakka too for a few minutes (make sure you let it cool before attaching).
The blue nipple thing is to do with positioning. Put it on, let it start working and then reposition. I keep moving it around until it's not uncomfortable and its still collecting milk. I'm not a pro though but I seem to get 1-1.5 oz per try.

@prisscalledwanda @JasonMomoasgirlfriend @littlebutterfly185 @DominicRaabsTravelAgent @Garman @Csari @SylvanasWindrunner

Wow lots of replies! Thanks so much. Ok great, I will just wash up with warm soapy water and maybe sterilise every now and then. I seem to be doing OK with it - getting around 40ml each time. I will check the positioning. Am folding down the flange and flipping it when putting it on already ☺️

While I have you all here, would you mind if I pick your brains about other breastfeeding things?!

We are really struggling and I’m getting to breaking point now. He’s been exclusively breastfed since birth, apart from a couple of formula top ups on days 2-3 in hospital as he had bad jaundice and couldn’t latch due to being sleepy. Breastfeeding after this went until about 4 weeks, then he started occasionally fussing at the breast, latching on and off and screaming. This could go on for hours, and has got increasingly worse. Now he does it several most days. He also takes a very long time to feed. Feeds are never less than an hour, sometimes several hours. I keep getting told it’s cluster feeding etc, but the long feeds have been going on about 6 weeks too. Today he wants to be latched on constantly, but is also latching on and off endlessly. After a while I give up and put him up on my shoulder, then he just cries and cries until I give in and try to feed again.

Is any of this sounding normal?! If so I have no idea how anyone manages to breastfeed for any length of time.

I’ve tried everything. Different positions, giving up dairy, Infacol, gripe water, giving expressed milk in a bottle, I’ve had breast feeding support out to the house, contacted the national breastfeeding helpline, I’m completely at breaking point now.

To make matters worse, he won’t lay down in his crib. DH and I have to do shifts to hold him during the night, and he contact naps on me in the day. As I result I’m running on 3-5 hours sleep a night. The latest situation is that he doesn’t want to be held by anyone but me. I’m starting to contemplate cosleeping and trying a few formula feeds a day, but I’m worried the formula may make things wise in case he does have CMPA (although not sure cutting out dairy helped) and cosleeping makes me nervous!

I appreciate this is such a long post. I’m starting to feel desperate now 😭

I should add the breastfeeding support spotted he had a mild tongue tie, so we had that snipped a few weeks ago. The woman that snipped it said she didn’t think it was the cause of the problems as it was so minor, and we haven’t seen any improvement. Also thought he had silent reflux for a while and tried Gaviscon, again no improvement and in hindsight I don’t think he does have SR x

Firstly, you're doing a great job. Breastfeeding is hard at the beginning!

So cluster feeding is very very normal and it does not mean that your LO isn't getting enough milk. But it's so tough. I remember crying and BF because I was in so much pain and so so touched out. It feels endless. You just get them to be still and then they go again. Wise words I read said never give up BF on a bad day. I definitely think you need to do what's right for you. Whether that be combination feeding (expressing if that's what you'd prefer) so that you can have a little break. Remember that for a baby, your breasts are everything! Food, comfort, warmth, closeness. so although really really hard, it's so so normal.

I was super against co sleeping but honestly it saved my sanity. Far better that I set myself and LO up rather than have the risk of falling asleep with LO in my arms. You have to do what's right for you and your baby, as safely as you can. And that safety goes for you too! Mental health is so important and you're doing brilliantly.

Sorry probably not much help but it sounds like you've tried all the usual things. Contact naps are still very much normal at that age and although it's really hard, just know you're doing a great job. It's ok to be overwhelmed and it's ok to be feeling frustrated. But you've got this :) breastfeeding will get easier. I wish I could believe it when I read posts on here. But honestly, it really truly does. Hang on in there if you can and want to. But equally don't feel like you can't do combi feeding. Do what's right for you and baby.

I was going to say tongue tie. If it's been snipped though, it might not be that, although there could be a posterior one lurking still?

Have a read of My Baby Fusses, What's the Problem on Kellymom.

Have you been able to get to a Breastfeeding Support Group yet @MintGreenLife? They should be able to observe a feed and help you out

Sorry just to add -

With the screaming and latching on and off - I'd unlatch and walk/rock for a moment, then try again. LO will scream but I sometimes think they need to realise what they actually want. As you know, trying to latch a screaming/unsettled baby is impossible.
Is there anything that calms LO when they're like this?

I remember me and DH having shifts holding our son upright. He definitely had silent reflux and this lasted until about 6 months when the valve in his stomach obviously grew or became strong enough to not let stomach contents back up. We noticed he relapsed at any growth spurt so assumed the valve needed time to catch up.

I seriously doubt your baby has cmpa. I got suckered into this way of thinking 2 years ago. I took DS to the Dr and the doctor said it's just being a baby and for me to absolutely not cut anything out of my diet. So unless your baby has bad rashes etc it is very unlikely to be cmpa.

We also got prescribed gaviscon which did a grand total of fuck all and we stopped it after a short period. It really just acts as a plug on the top of their tummy but it just didn't work for us.

Things we did do we're raising one end of his mattress up and in the carry cot too. Hold upright for at least 30 mins after a feed.
I did end up cosleeping and had him sleeping upright on my chest whilst I was also propped upright and used a V shaped pillow to wedge me in at both sides so I couldn't roll. I had a next to me cot so when I thought he was finally asleep and ok, I'd try and shuffle him into that but I definitely had whole nights sleeping in that upright position.

It's really a hard first 6minths when you have a refluxy baby :(

I'd not write of silent reflux...it sounds exactly like that to me!

@MintGreenLife my little girl had to have a posterior tongue tie snipped but it left her with a high roof of her mouth. Our lactation consultant recommended the koala and that was a game changer. She is still breastfed first and last thing and is almost 17 months

Oh lord @MintGreenLife I have an 11wk old with breastfeeding issues so you have my sympathy. It’s really rough isn’t it?

How did he get on with the expressed milk? Could you give him bottle top ups/replace some meals with bottles of expressed milk? It’s not ideal and probably won’t help with his latch but might make you both less stressed.

My son was fed by tube 1st 3 days in hospital and has mild tongue tie so latch never been great. He just won’t open his mouth wide whatever I do. Around 5 wks feeding got really difficult. He was constantly feeding, also scratching and head butting trying to make milk flow faster (I think). Put it down to cluster feeding at first too but then his poo went green for weeks with flecks of blood. Drs said it would ‘fix itself’, but it didn’t. I kept trying to adjust latch but he’d scream and twist his head to get back to more shallow latch.

Around 8 weeks I finally broke after a day where I was stuck on the sofa for almost 6hrs straight. Boy crying, scratching etc and falling asleep knackered and then waking up starving 15mins later.

Started expressing and feeding him bottles. His poos went back to yellow over night and now he eats around every 2hrs. I still offer breastfeeds eg as part of bed time routine, or in the middle of the night while we’re waiting for a bottle to warm up from the fridge.

Expressing and bottle feeding was a really hard decision, I felt like a failure and that I was losing a connection with my son, and depriving him of comfort. But now I know he has a nice full tummy and healthy poos, yes it’s not ideal but he’s definitely less stressed and there’s more time to play.

It sounds like you’re having a really rough ride, lots of respect for keeping going with the breastfeeding when it’s so tough - but don’t feel bad if you have to change how you feed? You have to stay sane too.

PS I am sort of hoping if I keep breastfeeding every day even if they are short feeds, eventually he’ll get big enough to breastfeed effectively. Not sure if that’s realistic but fingers crossed!

I can't help with the hours of feeding. My son was always done in under 10 mins. But tbh I was so determined to BF and at the start it didn't go well. We had a tired baby with jaundice and I'd had a 72 hour labour so i was not on the ball with getting him to latch. We got readmitted to hospital for jaundice and weight loss. Put on a feeding plan of 50-60ml every 2 hours.
I was so desperate for him to have as little formula as possible and so I spent the full two hours pumping as much as I could get (10-20ml) so as not to need the full 50-60 of formula.
This went on for two weeks.
I persevered and persevered and finally DS rejected bottles and only wanted BF but honestly I really didn't enjoy any of the feeds. I did this for two YEARS and really In hindsight I should have switched to expressing milk and then moving to formula.

And you know what? My son gets every sodding cold going. So I don't see any health benefits to him for me being so determined to do it.
If you aren't enjoying it, it is perfectly fine to just stop.

@littlebutterfly185 thanks so much for replying. It’s hugely helpful to be able to talk to others that understand, as I don’t really know anyone else that’s BF.

Can cluster feeding really go on for 2 months with hardly any let up in between? If so I have absolutely no clue how anyone gets past three months BF, I’m honestly at breaking point. I keep thinking and being told it will get better, and I’ve been holding onto that to keep me going, but I don’t know at what point I maybe just have to give in and try some formula. I’ve been meaning to pump for a for weeks and see if having a few bottles of expressed milk helps, but feel like I can’t because of not being able to put him down, hence trying the Hakka. In the past when I’ve tried W bottle of expressed milk (only a couple of times) he ended up on the breast again for an hour 🤦🏻‍♀️

@littlebutterfly185 I do find if I rock and feed him when he’s fussing I can get him back on track. The fussy feeding only happens when he’s wide awake, so if i can get him feeling sleepy by rocking it sometimes helps x