FAQs

Click HERE for instructions.

Before you use your Haakaa for the first time, sterilize it in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Be careful the Haakaa does not rest on the bottom of the pan and burn.

Be sure to wash with warm water and soap after each use and allow the Haakaa to air dry. Although your silicone products can go in the dishwasher, we recommend hand washing with hot, soapy water.

If your baby is less than 3 months old, born prematurely or has a weakened immune system, sterilize your Haakaa pump once a day following the instructions above. Daily sanitizing may not be necessary if your Haakaa is carefully cleaned after each use following the instructions above. You can sterilize your Haakaa in a pot of boiling water, a plug-in steam sterilizer, or in a sterilizing bag in the microwave.

Silicone is an absorbent material and can absorb the colors and smells of substances it comes in contact with. We strongly recommend not using any bleach-based agents or sterilizing 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 sterilize your pump again by boiling in water, just to be safe!

Some moms 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.

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 sterilize your products by boiling in water for 2-3 minutes.

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, center 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 center 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 sterilized, as well as the method of how it's washed and sterilized – the more you sterilize your pump, the faster it will lose its suction. Some moms 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!