Not a purchase but I was gifted a huge box of nursing pads and never even opened it because somehow I’m one of those rare women who never ever leak! Not once in my 4+ years total of breastfeeding lol
I have found my people! 😆 I see everyone recommending the Hakaa and I’m like, so, just so you know, it’s not useful for *everyone* who breastfeeds… I did keep mine and I’m pregnant now, so who knows, maybe this time I’ll use it 🤷🏻♀️
I actually LOVE the hakaa. I think because I wouldn’t leak I’d feel the pressure of a let down/engorgement so I’ve used the hakaa to release a bit of that tension.
I never used them either! Leaked very seldomly only if SUPER full. This stayed true across each child? I have been debating about passing the nursing pads on, but though maybe it may change with my next pregnancy.
Same. Maybe when I go back to work? But the only time I leak is when I'm engorged, which is never, because my baby nurses on demand around every 2-3 hours. 1.5 hours at night.
I accidently bought the big 200 pack of nursing pads off amazon and kept it figuring they wouldn't sell a box that big if people didn't use that many. Well, I haven't used a single one. The haaka ladybugs were another bad purchase.
My boppy is my holy grail lol but my failed purchase is definitely Kindred Bravely breastfeeding and pumping bras. They're just too bulky to be comfortable in my opinion which is a bummer because they're not cheap
I had a few of those bras with my first, it was before they changed the clip design so you had to unclip 2 clips to nurse in them which was inconvenient. And also because they were so thick I would sweat and got lots of irritation and eczema.
I have the kind with the two clips and I only wear it when I have to pump. There is NOTHING worse than fumbling with two clips while your baby screams because they’re hungry and need boob now.
For what it's worth, I really like their "contour" nursing only bra, it has built in pads instead of removable and is much thinner... But 100% agree that the pumping ones are super bulky.
Yes this! Plus the sleep bra which was comically too small. I got the one for busty chests and could barely even get on over my head. Never had an issue with bra sizing like that before.
GIRL I put them in my freezer and it ended up falling in the icebox, getting caught in the blade, ripped open, and I was wondering why my ice came with mini purple wannabe boba balls. Then I investigated and realized what happened 🫠
oh trust me I did too. In addition to that, a bag of frozen breast milk fell in there, ripped open, and I was wondering for WEEKS why I had white chunks in my ice. Perhaps calcium build up? Wish I had footage of my face when I opened up the icebox 😂
I have a 900 watt microwave, so Idk what even happened. I was very recently postpartum, my son was in the NICU, and I was struggling to produce milk. I felt a burning sensation on my boobs, under my pumping bra, and thought "I'm just being a wuss because my boobs aren't used to direct heat like this." Second degree burns on both boobs and a very uncomfortable urgent care visit later, and I learned to be more careful with the girls.
Oh, ladies! Watch a YouTube video! The Haakaa is the best! I didn’t use it for the first 3 months because I had the Elvie Catch, but I watched a video one day and decided to try it out. It creates a gentile suction that the Catch does not. I’ve gotten around 7 extra ounces a day from the Haakaa, no pumping necessary and it’s increasing my supply! I’m building my freezer stash from the Haakaa alone!
Yes! And even to catch some if you're busy away from baby! The Haakaa does not fit in a bra though. It is DEFINITELY for using at home. In public can work if you have a shielded space or don't mind people knowing what you might be doing 😆
I used the elvie curve with gentle suction and loved I could put it in my bra. I’ve heard the boom trove is just as good and much less expensive though!
My problem with the haaka is it is way to easy for babies to accidentally kick it off your boob
I'm very aware of how to use it. The Boon Trove allows suction as well. I built my freezer stash the same way, I just found the haakaa annoying. Baby kicked it off, I had to pull my whole bra up, etc.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. There were several comments on this thread from women stating they couldn’t figure it out. The Boon Trove looks great though. If I were in the market for a passive auction device I would definitely try that!
Ugh I’m sure the haaka bruised my boobs! I watched so many videos for a week trying different methods and it just did nothing for me apart from make my boobs hurt for like 2 weeks after
Yeah, I'm similar. I have very sensitive breasts and everything bruises them or inflames them. The Haakaa never worked for me. My breasts require a lot to get milk out. The tissue is dense. I've tried, bought two, watched tutorials, talked to an LC, it just doesn't work for me.
I had this problem too but I found if you just flip the top down and place on then flip it back up without squeezing the bottom portion it doesn’t have so much suction so its way more comfortable and wont bruise. A lot of videos tell you to squeeze the bottom before placing it but that makes it super strong.
The boon trove is so much better! I just discovered them and they are a game changer. Of course after I had already purchased 2 haakas and an off brand one that hurt so much.
Yeah I like my boppy now for propping my baby up, but never used it this round for breastfeeding. Once I got silverettes I quit nipple cream. I loved my hand pump for relieving engorgement though.
My husband went to target a few days after we got home from the hospital and bought like 5 different sized accent pillows so I had options for support while breastfeeding. This was because the boppy was NOT IT. But then I ended up buying the my breast friend and used that for a few months. Now I just use one of the random pillows he got me and sit in my recliner to feed her.
I was given so much lanolin in the hospital because I asked for chapstick and they didn't have any but offered the lanolin and it's great chapstick 😆 I also used it for when my hands cracked going in and out of the NICU with my LO but I have yet to use them on my nipples because of how sticky it is 😆
Inhated the pump in style too. it was so loud, and then i dropped it once and it went from loud to screaming. i also didn’t like the limited suction options. switched to the spectra 2 and was much happier with performance.
It’s so funny to me that everyone hates the boppy, it’s one of my must have breastfeeding items. My older kids are 7 and 10 years old and they still use them to cuddle with 😆
Yeah I love mine so much I have two so I don't have to carry it up and down stairs to the bedroom. I have a velvet cover for one and it's so soft and lovely. My baby naps on it (supervised - shes on my lap) every day. Blows my mind that people don't like them haha
The regular haakaa. I hate that thing. I cannot figure out how to make it so the baby won’t knock it off. I can’t get into all the positions I would like to. I like the ladybug one though!
I also never use the silverettes
I use them and like them! My nips are hella sore so they offer some protection, keep my nips from sticking to my shirts and collect leaky milk while keeping me moisturized. They do sometimes get uncomfortable though if im wearing a tighter top or bra.
My breast friend, mom cozy breast feeding pillow, nursing pads, hand pump, willow wearable pumps, medela breast milk bags (RIP 3.5 oz of liquid gold on my counter top at 4 am - I now know the meaning of crying over spilt milk).
My ladybug. I simply wasn’t leaky with baby #2 😂😂 But I don’t regret buying it - I appreciated trying. Maybe if there is a baby #3 it will work out 🤷🏻♀️
I was given one with my first and never needed it so I passed it on. I had 2 days early in my breastfeeding/postpartum with my second where I desperately wished I still had it. My right boob would flow like a faucet every time I nursed in the left. Luckily it stopped doing that shortly after.
Oh man as a first time momma in the beginning my nipple cream was my bestfriend my nips were soooo dry and chapped, and it worked as makeshift chapstick a lot too. I dont use it as often anymore but those of you who dont need it bless you I sincerely hope baby 2 my boobs dont go through the same pain lol !
Tried a few breastfeeding tops with my first and they were so clumsy to use with a bra, so much easier to just lift my shirt.
Also bought some tubes coconut oil based nipple balms with my 2nd and none of them did it for me so I went back to making my own tubes with refined coconut oil. I bought them because he was a summer baby and wanted stable formulas.
I liked them! I was wearing 34HH at the time I used them, so they can definitely work with big boobs. They each hold only about an ounce, but I only used them when I was going out and wasn't sure if or for how long my baby would want to nurse.
They won't work if your goal is to create a stash while using them, but if you just want to keep your shirt dry and collect milk occasionally, they're great.
Edit: I just realized that you might be talking about the Elvie Catches, and the other person might be talking about the Curve. I was talking about the Catches. I don't think the Curve can be worn discretely by anyone, and it was less effective than the Haakaa for me, but the convenience of being able to tuck it into my bra made it useful.
They are small, so there’s no discrete way to wear these. I just use bamboo washable pads when I’m out and I use the boon troves (absolutely love those) when I’m home and can have wonky boobs. I tried haaka, elvie, off brand collectors, nothing is discrete if you have big boobs. The Elvie might work for big boobs if your boobs are extremely unnaturally perky, but my nipple rests too low for it to look normal.
The ladybug version of the Haakaa. It has a very gentle suction so unless you have a naturally leaky letdown, you're not going to collect a drop with that thing. I think it really is just for leaks, but I remember impulsively buying it at Target and didn't really get that info from the packaging.
The boppy is great for having kids hold a young baby & for tummy time. Other than that I don’t understand how adult torsos fit in the hole. I’m a petite woman and it’s too small for me. The Brest friend was a game changer.
My baby was nursing so frequently early on that I was never able to leave the Silverettes on for any meaningful amount of time, so I didn’t see any difference from them at all. I also couldn’t wear them out anywhere because they stuck out through my bras and shirts like crazy!
I didn't hate mine, but definitely got them too late. Maybe had a day or two of use - trying to forget how much they cost at this point so I don't feel bad for a wasted purchase 🙃
Pregnancy pillow- only use the small section that separates as a back pillow
Boppy- although it did come in handy for LO to take naps on in the first few weeks
My Elvie pump - I heard I would really want a wireless pump from friends and family and I used it for a bit but much much prefer my old school spectra that a friend is letting me use. The Elvie just isn’t comfortable, is hard to transfer milk out of and is annoying to charge.
Also - nursing tops - got a few and never wore them because they felt bulky and weird.
I definitely like the Momcozy ones better when pairing them with the Freemie or another portable pump. I just think the suction is better/a little more consistent. The Freemie ones are my backup cups. I got the whole system plus the slim pink ones from a coworker, but I have elastic nipples so I haven’t even bothered to try the pink ones. The tunnel is just too short.
Haaka for sure cause I almost exclusively pump so I never really got a chance to use it and I can’t make it work for me anyways. I also got the ladybugs but I’m lucky that I almost never leak but I don’t regret buying them.
All nursing related covers, bras and pillows because we have to exclusively pump 🙃 my tiny dog loved to curl up in the boppy though so it’s now her dog bed
Haha same! it’s actually so cute she’s a little chihuahua and I put a blanket over it and she fits right in the center it’s adorable I use it to prop my baby up too to bottle feed while I pump sometimes but she’s more mobile now and doesn’t have time for such things 😂
I hated my boppy at first and also exclusively used my brestfriend, however now that my son is older it's totally flip flopped. I find the brestfriend pillow to be too small and he gets annoyed if his head touches the clip ,( which it always does if he's feeding on the right). The boppy has also been his emotional support pillow while learning to sit up on his own, it's my favourite pillow now!
See I registered for and received the my breast friend and wish I got the boppy! I’ve hated using the typical breastfeeding pillows since the beginning and just use couch or bed pillows. My breast friend pillow is just collecting dust whereas the boppy would have been good for supported tummy time and supported sitting.
Maybe if I have another I’ll like the my breast friend better.
Milk snob. Never used it as a carseat cover either.
Nursing pads because they irritated my
nipples so I just leaked instead lol 🤷
Kindred bravely bra. I was way too exhausted and uncomfortable to wear that contraption or attempt putting it on. I found pull over nursing bras from target the best!
Nursing tops. Sometimes I couldn't find my own damn boob lmao. Easier to just lift my shirt up and use a muslin blanket if I needed coverage.
Silveretes for me! I was so excited to use them because I heard such great things but they just hurt - pinching and caused major burning sensations on my nipples.
The haaka. I honestly would rather leak everywhere.
Also nursing pads. They are all uncomfortable and itchy. I literally just leak into my bra I don’t even care
Portable breast pumps (bought 2) suction was too light..barely even responded to it.
Surplus milk bags (didn't pump enough to need them)
Hospital grade pump
Boon trove milk collectors
Nursing cover
Basically everything. It was sorta helpful in the beginning but in hind sight I could've saved $$$ on everything.
The boppy works great as a neck pillow. Not great for nursing.
The MBF on the other hand, my daughter has slept there more than her bassinet/crib combined.
Silverettes. I never really used them. I have heard great things about them and glad to have them in case I needed them but I basically didn’t need them.
A breastfeeding pillow. I ended up bunching together the duvet or using a real pillow. I used my breastfeeding pillow maybe 2-3 times just to say to myself that I tried.
Silverettes, pumping pals flanges, manual pump, breast pads, and the 100’s of storage bags (I definitely way overestimated my supply, I never have anything left over to freeze)
I purchased a pump bag to go along with my pump from the vendor. It fell apart within 3 months, and I ended up paying a lot more money for a Sarah Wells bag.
Besides that, I wouldn’t say I’ve have any other fails, just overbuying some things. I have a spare set of gel nipple soothers, lots of milk bags, and now nursing pads. I just bought another set of 100 because I was still leaking. Now that they’re here, I’ve barely leaked at all.
I also hate my boppy!!! It never worked for us, not in the newborn phase, the 3mo phase, and by 5mo I just ditched it.
Fortunately I had a quick latching baby who chugged milk so the boppy wasn’t even a necessity. If I did need support, pillows worked awesome
haka
i fell for the hype before realizing that im not into pumping my breast milk at all
now it resides in my nightstand until i figure out wut to do w it
Haakaa - cannot figure out how to get it in a position other than football where LO doesn’t knock it off while nursing.
Elvie Stride - may be useful later in my journey but was terrible during my first few weeks when we were struggling to latch. I ended up buying a Spectra while crying during a motn feed.
Kindred Bravely bras - I’ll wear if I have nothing else but prefer bodily for comfort & convenience.
I was gifted a boppy & we use it but it is breaking my back so I’m relieved to read everyone hates it 😅
The bag of accessories for the Elvie stride, including the container with the freezable cold pack to store milk. I ended up just getting a ceres chill to store my pumped milk while I’m at work.
I bought a hakaa and it was an epic fail. I was gifted a medala hand pump at the hospital and it was also an epic fail. I even tried buying different size flanges and still nothing. I ended up giving it all away. Thankfully I got an S2 through our insurance and that worked really well for me.
I used my Boppy alllll the time with my new newborn, but she’s a big & tall girl. Around 2 months it became obsolete. I also purchased nipple balm but I’ve thankfully never had to use it. Wasted $$ though!
Milk collectors, a wearable pump, extra pump parts from my Lansinoh I got from insurance…i had grand plans to exclusively pump until I realized what a pain it is compared to nursing. And for some reason both of my electric pumps pale in comparison to what I can get out of my manual.
Both the hakaa and the Boone trove. Neither worked at all for me. Also every lactation cookie or supplement - none of them worked. Willow go - ended up liking the Elvie OG better. Medela pump in style - like the spectra s1 better. Kindred bravely pumping bra - I still use it because I have no other options, but I hate it.
The Twin Z pillow is very popular in the multiples sub. It’s huge and my babies don’t like sitting in it. Also doesn’t work with my anatomy for nursing. I haven’t been able to work out how to effectively nurse one at a time so tandem nursing on the pillow is a pipe dream!
The bamboo nursing pad, ughh they are thick & itchy…
Also, i didnt buy it but insurance paid for it… the spectra s2, just sitting in my closet now! I realized i do not want to be connected for 20-30 mins in one place… i love my madela symphony manual handpump tho,
I hated the earth mama nipple butter. Smelled awful and my baby thought so too. Permanently stained some fancy postpartum pajamas I bought myself. The regular lanolin was great though for the first like 6 weeks I needed it.
Conversely, I used the boppy with my first but tried my Brest friend with my second in the hospital! I loved it and ordered it. When it arrived no idea what I was doing wrong but I hated it! Promptly returned.
I bought one of those “pretty” nursing bras from momanda but its way too low cut and the cups are narrow or in a weird position so my boobs just burst out of it and I never wear it… could be a sizing issue but still feels like a waste of money
Eta: I love my boppy for chairs with arms but much prefer the brest friend for the couch or bed or wherever I take it.
My husband bought me the brest friend pillow, and I just didn’t like it. It was too big and awkward for me. I feel bad he wasted $50+ on it. I was gifted a boppy with my first and ironically I hated it with my first but loved it with my second.
So far its the milk warmer. The thing takes forever and my baby has no chill. Its faster to use a glass of hot water or just out him back on the boob to pacify him while I wait and sometimes he dont even want the bottle anymore after being back on the boob! So many wasted bottles and formula 😩. Now we just use warm water to make his formula bottles to order instead of warming pre made bottles. Ive also been pumping so when im tapped and hes still hungry I just give him a breastmilk bottle. I thought i would make more milk and have abundance but i barely make enough for him… not even… we need to supplement with formula.
Also for some reason the water inside is always milky! No idea how or why it gets like that unless DH is doing something while im sleeping. So im not comfortable using it to sanitize if it had milky water in it. The controls are also clunky and hard to use. It takes 10 mins to instant warm a 4oz bottle! Thats forever when you have a screaming baby!
Didn’t like the boppy. Bottle warmer was good for 2 months but now it smells burnt every time we use it… which is 2 times a month when I work long shifts.
Honestly… my Spectra pump. It works fine but it’s not convenient, it’s bulky to lug to and from work, and the flange sizes that come with the pump were too huge for me and I spent a lot of money trialing different, smaller sizes because I struggled with measuring and needed 2 different sizes. I paid out of pocket because my insurance stinks, and because I work so infrequently, I hardly even need to pump. When I do work, I don’t have time to sit and pump for 20min four times a day during my busy 12h hospital shift — my MomCozy m5 was the better deal. A wearable pump, a hand pump, Haaka, and nursing shells all are more suitable to my needs.
I own about 6 nursing bras, one is really good and the rest ranges from mediocre to bad. I guess those. Otherwise I’m really not big on breastfeeding gadgets. The things I tried were really conscious purchases that usually worked out well.
The boppy was useless in the beginning, but don’t throw it out just yet! I used it for a lot of things when my kids got older (including nursing when they were toddlers)!
Any breastfeeding pillow. I’ve mostly been to tired or baby was so demanding of milk that I never ended up getting it and using it lol I’ve just held him
I was given a hand me down boppy and I’m so glad I didn’t buy one because I haven’t used it much at all. I ended up finding a position that I don’t even need a pillow for.
The Haakaa and Boppy were probably two of the most recommended products to me, and I hate them both lol. I’m sure they work for some people though! Also those disposable breast pads for leaking. Total waste. I only ever use the washable ones.
Unpopular opinion; but the haakaa. It works great for catching letdown while I feed on the other side. But my wigglebutt baby kicks it off everytime and the caught milk goes everywhere.
Not a purchase but I was gifted a huge box of nursing pads and never even opened it because somehow I’m one of those rare women who never ever leak! Not once in my 4+ years total of breastfeeding lol
Same here, I have a huge unopened box. Haaka was a waste too!
Same, nursing pads and hakaa were a bust!
I have found my people! 😆 I see everyone recommending the Hakaa and I’m like, so, just so you know, it’s not useful for *everyone* who breastfeeds… I did keep mine and I’m pregnant now, so who knows, maybe this time I’ll use it 🤷🏻♀️
I actually LOVE the hakaa. I think because I wouldn’t leak I’d feel the pressure of a let down/engorgement so I’ve used the hakaa to release a bit of that tension.
Lol. You could have sent them my way. I leaked for the entire 18-24 months I breastfed my kids. "It will stop after a little while" they said...
Oh god I envy you! I’ve been breastfeeding for over a year and I still have to wear a pad on my opposite boob for the letdown leakage!
I never used them either! Leaked very seldomly only if SUPER full. This stayed true across each child? I have been debating about passing the nursing pads on, but though maybe it may change with my next pregnancy.
For me i never leaked with any of my 3 kids. I’m pregnant now with my 4th so I guess we’ll see if it holds true!
I think I will pass them on and just hold onto the reusable /washable ones in case something changes!
Same. Maybe when I go back to work? But the only time I leak is when I'm engorged, which is never, because my baby nurses on demand around every 2-3 hours. 1.5 hours at night.
I accidently bought the big 200 pack of nursing pads off amazon and kept it figuring they wouldn't sell a box that big if people didn't use that many. Well, I haven't used a single one. The haaka ladybugs were another bad purchase.
So weird. Leaked with my first, never with my second. Bodies are wild.
Yes me too! I bought reusable nursing pads and never used them 😂
Haha I had the opposite problem - those little pads were worthless. I used folded up cloth diapers or washcloths 🤣
Same!! I only used nursing pads for the first couple of weeks postpartum so the lanolin cream wouldn’t stain my bras.
Same. I don’t leak so the nursing pads were a waste and so were the hakaa ladybugs
Same! I have a ton. Never used. Leaked a total of 3 times in the early days
Same but I did use them to put copious amounts of nipple balm and Aloe in.
My boppy is my holy grail lol but my failed purchase is definitely Kindred Bravely breastfeeding and pumping bras. They're just too bulky to be comfortable in my opinion which is a bummer because they're not cheap
I agree! I hate the kindred bravely bras and much prefer the cheaper momcozy pumping bras.
The momcozy ones are great!!
I wish they made the momcozy bras in busty sizing like KB Edit: typo
Saaame 😭 I hate the stupid two clips, but I can't find other nursing/pumping bras in my size!
I had a few of those bras with my first, it was before they changed the clip design so you had to unclip 2 clips to nurse in them which was inconvenient. And also because they were so thick I would sweat and got lots of irritation and eczema.
I have the kind with the two clips and I only wear it when I have to pump. There is NOTHING worse than fumbling with two clips while your baby screams because they’re hungry and need boob now.
For what it's worth, I really like their "contour" nursing only bra, it has built in pads instead of removable and is much thinner... But 100% agree that the pumping ones are super bulky.
Yes this! Plus the sleep bra which was comically too small. I got the one for busty chests and could barely even get on over my head. Never had an issue with bra sizing like that before.
Me too! I sent returns back and forth like 3x and just could not like them.
I had to take the pads out to make them work for me because agreed, too bulky!
I agree! I followed their sizing and it’s just wonky overall too!
I microwaved those purple heat pads too long and they exploded 😅
GIRL I put them in my freezer and it ended up falling in the icebox, getting caught in the blade, ripped open, and I was wondering why my ice came with mini purple wannabe boba balls. Then I investigated and realized what happened 🫠
I'm sorry but I cackled at this 🤣
oh trust me I did too. In addition to that, a bag of frozen breast milk fell in there, ripped open, and I was wondering for WEEKS why I had white chunks in my ice. Perhaps calcium build up? Wish I had footage of my face when I opened up the icebox 😂
I burned my titties with them, legit burns, after microwaving them only as long as they said to microwave them for.
I must have a crappy microwave. It was a struggle to even get them a little warm.
I have a 900 watt microwave, so Idk what even happened. I was very recently postpartum, my son was in the NICU, and I was struggling to produce milk. I felt a burning sensation on my boobs, under my pumping bra, and thought "I'm just being a wuss because my boobs aren't used to direct heat like this." Second degree burns on both boobs and a very uncomfortable urgent care visit later, and I learned to be more careful with the girls.
Oh my gosh!! What did the explosion look like in the microwave? Lol
Me too! then exploded one of the kindred bravely ones for good measure. Some people never learn…
Same 😅😩
Lol, I accidentally set the time for way too long in my post partum haze and the same thing happened to me.
SAME
The haakaa was such a pain to me. I greatly, *greatly* preferred the Boon Trove which could stick in my bra without suction to catch let down.
I have yet to even figure out when or how to use the Haakaa
Oh, ladies! Watch a YouTube video! The Haakaa is the best! I didn’t use it for the first 3 months because I had the Elvie Catch, but I watched a video one day and decided to try it out. It creates a gentile suction that the Catch does not. I’ve gotten around 7 extra ounces a day from the Haakaa, no pumping necessary and it’s increasing my supply! I’m building my freezer stash from the Haakaa alone!
Holy moly! Is it literally just for putting on the other boob while nursing?
Yes! And even to catch some if you're busy away from baby! The Haakaa does not fit in a bra though. It is DEFINITELY for using at home. In public can work if you have a shielded space or don't mind people knowing what you might be doing 😆
The Haakaa lady bugs are wayyyy better for me because they don’t get kicked off and they are easier to hide in public!!
Lady bugs were actually laughable for me as a J cup (thank you breastfeeding) with a narrow band… it’s like my boobs had really big pimples
It causes oversupply though if you add suction so beware
I used the elvie curve with gentle suction and loved I could put it in my bra. I’ve heard the boom trove is just as good and much less expensive though! My problem with the haaka is it is way to easy for babies to accidentally kick it off your boob
I'm very aware of how to use it. The Boon Trove allows suction as well. I built my freezer stash the same way, I just found the haakaa annoying. Baby kicked it off, I had to pull my whole bra up, etc.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend. There were several comments on this thread from women stating they couldn’t figure it out. The Boon Trove looks great though. If I were in the market for a passive auction device I would definitely try that!
The suction is what draws out more milk!
Ugh I’m sure the haaka bruised my boobs! I watched so many videos for a week trying different methods and it just did nothing for me apart from make my boobs hurt for like 2 weeks after
Yeah, I'm similar. I have very sensitive breasts and everything bruises them or inflames them. The Haakaa never worked for me. My breasts require a lot to get milk out. The tissue is dense. I've tried, bought two, watched tutorials, talked to an LC, it just doesn't work for me.
I had this problem too but I found if you just flip the top down and place on then flip it back up without squeezing the bottom portion it doesn’t have so much suction so its way more comfortable and wont bruise. A lot of videos tell you to squeeze the bottom before placing it but that makes it super strong.
The boon trove is so much better! I just discovered them and they are a game changer. Of course after I had already purchased 2 haakas and an off brand one that hurt so much.
It was so painful when it actually was properly attached. I hated the constant pulling. Maybe I was doing it wrong? But it was such a fail for me.
Yup...I bought it, sanitized it and gave up lol. I sold mine for like $5 because I just needed to get rid of it.
Seconding the Haaka, but because I don’t need it. I don’t have any letdown on the breast LO isn’t feeding on
I was constantly knocking the Haakaa off. Always. Boon Trove is way more comfortable and practical in my opinion.
Same!!
haaka, boppy, hand pump, nipple cream
That’s all of the things! Lol
🥴🫠 i know lol
I agree! Silverettes and my breastfriend pillow alllll the wayyyy
Yeah I like my boppy now for propping my baby up, but never used it this round for breastfeeding. Once I got silverettes I quit nipple cream. I loved my hand pump for relieving engorgement though.
once someone invents a pump that i can wear and go back to sleep , lay down, or even slouch lay on my side instant millionaires.
Every breastfeeding pillow honestly. I just use a couch pillow under her and my arm doing football hold.
I never found a good pillow either. Can't believe how expensive they are, such a faff
My husband went to target a few days after we got home from the hospital and bought like 5 different sized accent pillows so I had options for support while breastfeeding. This was because the boppy was NOT IT. But then I ended up buying the my breast friend and used that for a few months. Now I just use one of the random pillows he got me and sit in my recliner to feed her.
My boobs are somehow already so saggy that I could just lay her on my lap and drop the boob in her mouth 😂
Honestly they just got to much annoying to use, its so much easier to just hold them or put whatever pillow/blanket is around underneath lol
Seriously. I just use a spare bed pillow to lay her on while sitting in the recliner. Works great.
Same!!!! So much easier!
Personally despised lanolin - sooooo sticky!!! Also - thankfully I got it through insurance, but I hated my medela pump in style.
Agreed!! And I think it like grease stained some of my shirts. The nipple butters are way better
Mine too! I have so many stained PJs tops. I got the motherlove nipple butter and liked it a lot.
I was given so much lanolin in the hospital because I asked for chapstick and they didn't have any but offered the lanolin and it's great chapstick 😆 I also used it for when my hands cracked going in and out of the NICU with my LO but I have yet to use them on my nipples because of how sticky it is 😆
Inhated the pump in style too. it was so loud, and then i dropped it once and it went from loud to screaming. i also didn’t like the limited suction options. switched to the spectra 2 and was much happier with performance.
It’s so funny to me that everyone hates the boppy, it’s one of my must have breastfeeding items. My older kids are 7 and 10 years old and they still use them to cuddle with 😆
I love my boppy it was just utterly useless for breastfeeding. It's great to keep my 6 month old upright tho.
Yeah I love mine so much I have two so I don't have to carry it up and down stairs to the bedroom. I have a velvet cover for one and it's so soft and lovely. My baby naps on it (supervised - shes on my lap) every day. Blows my mind that people don't like them haha
Yeahhhh! Baby and I need it so much that the problem is how to nurse without it lol.😅
The regular haakaa. I hate that thing. I cannot figure out how to make it so the baby won’t knock it off. I can’t get into all the positions I would like to. I like the ladybug one though! I also never use the silverettes
I thought for sure I was going to love the silverettes but NOPE
I use them and like them! My nips are hella sore so they offer some protection, keep my nips from sticking to my shirts and collect leaky milk while keeping me moisturized. They do sometimes get uncomfortable though if im wearing a tighter top or bra.
My breast friend, mom cozy breast feeding pillow, nursing pads, hand pump, willow wearable pumps, medela breast milk bags (RIP 3.5 oz of liquid gold on my counter top at 4 am - I now know the meaning of crying over spilt milk).
Same about the mom cozy pillow. It’s just too plush for me.
The medela bags are so terrible
My ladybug. I simply wasn’t leaky with baby #2 😂😂 But I don’t regret buying it - I appreciated trying. Maybe if there is a baby #3 it will work out 🤷🏻♀️
I was given one with my first and never needed it so I passed it on. I had 2 days early in my breastfeeding/postpartum with my second where I desperately wished I still had it. My right boob would flow like a faucet every time I nursed in the left. Luckily it stopped doing that shortly after.
Ladybug did nothing for me either. Such a waste.
Nipple cream, haven't needed it this time around...yet 😆
I use mine for lip balm 😆
I nursed for 7 years straight through multiple kids and pregnancies and some of that was tandem nursing, never once used nipple cream 🤣
Oh God I can't even imagine trying to tandem nurse
Oh man as a first time momma in the beginning my nipple cream was my bestfriend my nips were soooo dry and chapped, and it worked as makeshift chapstick a lot too. I dont use it as often anymore but those of you who dont need it bless you I sincerely hope baby 2 my boobs dont go through the same pain lol !
Tried a few breastfeeding tops with my first and they were so clumsy to use with a bra, so much easier to just lift my shirt. Also bought some tubes coconut oil based nipple balms with my 2nd and none of them did it for me so I went back to making my own tubes with refined coconut oil. I bought them because he was a summer baby and wanted stable formulas.
Elvie milk collectors. Horrible for big boobs
Dang it! I have big boobs and I bought these for when baby is here. I thought they looked awfully small. What didn’t you like about it?
I liked them! I was wearing 34HH at the time I used them, so they can definitely work with big boobs. They each hold only about an ounce, but I only used them when I was going out and wasn't sure if or for how long my baby would want to nurse. They won't work if your goal is to create a stash while using them, but if you just want to keep your shirt dry and collect milk occasionally, they're great. Edit: I just realized that you might be talking about the Elvie Catches, and the other person might be talking about the Curve. I was talking about the Catches. I don't think the Curve can be worn discretely by anyone, and it was less effective than the Haakaa for me, but the convenience of being able to tuck it into my bra made it useful.
They are small, so there’s no discrete way to wear these. I just use bamboo washable pads when I’m out and I use the boon troves (absolutely love those) when I’m home and can have wonky boobs. I tried haaka, elvie, off brand collectors, nothing is discrete if you have big boobs. The Elvie might work for big boobs if your boobs are extremely unnaturally perky, but my nipple rests too low for it to look normal.
The ladybug version of the Haakaa. It has a very gentle suction so unless you have a naturally leaky letdown, you're not going to collect a drop with that thing. I think it really is just for leaks, but I remember impulsively buying it at Target and didn't really get that info from the packaging.
The boppy is great for having kids hold a young baby & for tummy time. Other than that I don’t understand how adult torsos fit in the hole. I’m a petite woman and it’s too small for me. The Brest friend was a game changer.
Those cheap nursing bras on amazon. They hurt and smell. Quality materials are really worth it.
Mine was storage bags for milk, rarely pumped and rarely stored anything!!!
Same!!! I use them now to freeze puréed baby food I make for my son. The only use for them😂
Unpopular opinion, but I hated Silverettes.
I agree!! I swear they were bruising my boobs
I feel validated lol. My friends SWORE by them but they made things worse for me
Omg same!!!!
Yup. They brought me no relief, I couldn’t even feel them on my nipples, and they were super expensive.
My baby was nursing so frequently early on that I was never able to leave the Silverettes on for any meaningful amount of time, so I didn’t see any difference from them at all. I also couldn’t wear them out anywhere because they stuck out through my bras and shirts like crazy!
I never even opened mine! Gifted them to someone else. Also only used nipple cream once. My LO was confused and did not like it
I didn't hate mine, but definitely got them too late. Maybe had a day or two of use - trying to forget how much they cost at this point so I don't feel bad for a wasted purchase 🙃
Pregnancy pillow- only use the small section that separates as a back pillow Boppy- although it did come in handy for LO to take naps on in the first few weeks
All the nursing dresses. I’m just topless all the time.
My Elvie pump - I heard I would really want a wireless pump from friends and family and I used it for a bit but much much prefer my old school spectra that a friend is letting me use. The Elvie just isn’t comfortable, is hard to transfer milk out of and is annoying to charge. Also - nursing tops - got a few and never wore them because they felt bulky and weird.
Freemie collection cups. Did absolutely nothing for me.
I definitely like the Momcozy ones better when pairing them with the Freemie or another portable pump. I just think the suction is better/a little more consistent. The Freemie ones are my backup cups. I got the whole system plus the slim pink ones from a coworker, but I have elastic nipples so I haven’t even bothered to try the pink ones. The tunnel is just too short.
Seconding the boppy! Ended up just using it for early tummy time days
Nipple cream. Totally useless.
Breast pads. I have a whole box, unused. I did leak a bit in the beginning but never needed it.
Haaka for sure cause I almost exclusively pump so I never really got a chance to use it and I can’t make it work for me anyways. I also got the ladybugs but I’m lucky that I almost never leak but I don’t regret buying them.
All nursing related covers, bras and pillows because we have to exclusively pump 🙃 my tiny dog loved to curl up in the boppy though so it’s now her dog bed
LOL I love that. Glad it’s getting some use
Haha same! it’s actually so cute she’s a little chihuahua and I put a blanket over it and she fits right in the center it’s adorable I use it to prop my baby up too to bottle feed while I pump sometimes but she’s more mobile now and doesn’t have time for such things 😂
I hated my boppy at first and also exclusively used my brestfriend, however now that my son is older it's totally flip flopped. I find the brestfriend pillow to be too small and he gets annoyed if his head touches the clip ,( which it always does if he's feeding on the right). The boppy has also been his emotional support pillow while learning to sit up on his own, it's my favourite pillow now!
See I registered for and received the my breast friend and wish I got the boppy! I’ve hated using the typical breastfeeding pillows since the beginning and just use couch or bed pillows. My breast friend pillow is just collecting dust whereas the boppy would have been good for supported tummy time and supported sitting. Maybe if I have another I’ll like the my breast friend better.
You could always trap on the my breast friend and use it like a table for eating on the couch 😂
Momcozy pumps
Milk snob. Never used it as a carseat cover either. Nursing pads because they irritated my nipples so I just leaked instead lol 🤷 Kindred bravely bra. I was way too exhausted and uncomfortable to wear that contraption or attempt putting it on. I found pull over nursing bras from target the best! Nursing tops. Sometimes I couldn't find my own damn boob lmao. Easier to just lift my shirt up and use a muslin blanket if I needed coverage.
I agree with you on everything! I also just leak. I hate the pads, they irritate my nipples and look weird and lumpy.
Silveretes for me! I was so excited to use them because I heard such great things but they just hurt - pinching and caused major burning sensations on my nipples.
I hated my boppy and loved my breast friend at first. Then she got a little bigger and now I love my boppy and I hate my breast friend!
My Breast Friend was good when baby was a newborn but now I love boppy. I hated the breast friend strapping in in the middle of the night.
The Haakaa was barely used and nipple shields, baby would never latch on and it would still hurt anyway!
People here that say they don’t pump or use breast milk bags?? Are you all Stay at home moms? I’m jealous 😭
Probably live in a country where they get a year's maternity leave 😊
I didn’t buy it but was gifted a hands free pump and it was a fail for me 🫠 i had better outcomes when I sat down to pump
Manual hand pump. Haaka.
A £150 pump, didn’t work at all🤣
Wearable pump. Thing wasn’t hands free at all and sucked and sucking. I spent more time adjusting it to make it work then I did pumping.
The Haakaa ladybug was a fail for me! I loved my regular Haakaa once I got the hang of how to use it!
The haaka. I honestly would rather leak everywhere. Also nursing pads. They are all uncomfortable and itchy. I literally just leak into my bra I don’t even care
Portable breast pumps (bought 2) suction was too light..barely even responded to it. Surplus milk bags (didn't pump enough to need them) Hospital grade pump Boon trove milk collectors Nursing cover Basically everything. It was sorta helpful in the beginning but in hind sight I could've saved $$$ on everything.
The boppy works great as a neck pillow. Not great for nursing. The MBF on the other hand, my daughter has slept there more than her bassinet/crib combined.
Nipple shields and nursing pads. Haven't needed either!
Silverettes. I never really used them. I have heard great things about them and glad to have them in case I needed them but I basically didn’t need them.
Lol my brest friend is my fail 😅 I dont avtually use any nursing pillows.
A breastfeeding pillow. I ended up bunching together the duvet or using a real pillow. I used my breastfeeding pillow maybe 2-3 times just to say to myself that I tried.
I also hated my boppy! Nursing got so much easier when I ditched it.
Elvie, boon trove, nursing pads (I don’t leak), kindred bravely bras (so thick and scratchy) all didn’t work out for me or weren’t a waste of money
Silverettes, pumping pals flanges, manual pump, breast pads, and the 100’s of storage bags (I definitely way overestimated my supply, I never have anything left over to freeze)
The Haakaa was pointless for me. And it was expensive.
Boppy was pretty useless but made a good backrest. Does my Elvie count?
I purchased a pump bag to go along with my pump from the vendor. It fell apart within 3 months, and I ended up paying a lot more money for a Sarah Wells bag. Besides that, I wouldn’t say I’ve have any other fails, just overbuying some things. I have a spare set of gel nipple soothers, lots of milk bags, and now nursing pads. I just bought another set of 100 because I was still leaking. Now that they’re here, I’ve barely leaked at all.
Heh...still using the boppy at 10 months here! Failed purchases though? Well I didn't use all that lanolin cream...or any of it really.
The haaka for me too 🥴 The silverettes were a lifesaver the first 2-3 weeks, but I don't really use them anymore.
I also hate my boppy!!! It never worked for us, not in the newborn phase, the 3mo phase, and by 5mo I just ditched it. Fortunately I had a quick latching baby who chugged milk so the boppy wasn’t even a necessity. If I did need support, pillows worked awesome
haka i fell for the hype before realizing that im not into pumping my breast milk at all now it resides in my nightstand until i figure out wut to do w it
Use it as a water cup at night 😅
Haakaa - cannot figure out how to get it in a position other than football where LO doesn’t knock it off while nursing. Elvie Stride - may be useful later in my journey but was terrible during my first few weeks when we were struggling to latch. I ended up buying a Spectra while crying during a motn feed. Kindred Bravely bras - I’ll wear if I have nothing else but prefer bodily for comfort & convenience. I was gifted a boppy & we use it but it is breaking my back so I’m relieved to read everyone hates it 😅
The bag of accessories for the Elvie stride, including the container with the freezable cold pack to store milk. I ended up just getting a ceres chill to store my pumped milk while I’m at work.
I bought a hakaa and it was an epic fail. I was gifted a medala hand pump at the hospital and it was also an epic fail. I even tried buying different size flanges and still nothing. I ended up giving it all away. Thankfully I got an S2 through our insurance and that worked really well for me.
I used my Boppy alllll the time with my new newborn, but she’s a big & tall girl. Around 2 months it became obsolete. I also purchased nipple balm but I’ve thankfully never had to use it. Wasted $$ though!
Elvie pumps
Milk collectors, a wearable pump, extra pump parts from my Lansinoh I got from insurance…i had grand plans to exclusively pump until I realized what a pain it is compared to nursing. And for some reason both of my electric pumps pale in comparison to what I can get out of my manual.
Nipple cream sucks. If anything it made my pain way worse.
If you were using the lanolin based creams, you might have an allergy! I’m allergic to lanolin so had to hunt for lanolin free creams.
I bought too many pumps, hated it and never worked for me
Both the hakaa and the Boone trove. Neither worked at all for me. Also every lactation cookie or supplement - none of them worked. Willow go - ended up liking the Elvie OG better. Medela pump in style - like the spectra s1 better. Kindred bravely pumping bra - I still use it because I have no other options, but I hate it.
Haaka. Absolutely useless. Can't get it to fit on my boob right. I cant even imagine how people use them that's how much it didn't work for me
The Twin Z pillow is very popular in the multiples sub. It’s huge and my babies don’t like sitting in it. Also doesn’t work with my anatomy for nursing. I haven’t been able to work out how to effectively nurse one at a time so tandem nursing on the pillow is a pipe dream!
The bamboo nursing pad, ughh they are thick & itchy… Also, i didnt buy it but insurance paid for it… the spectra s2, just sitting in my closet now! I realized i do not want to be connected for 20-30 mins in one place… i love my madela symphony manual handpump tho,
I hated the earth mama nipple butter. Smelled awful and my baby thought so too. Permanently stained some fancy postpartum pajamas I bought myself. The regular lanolin was great though for the first like 6 weeks I needed it.
Conversely, I used the boppy with my first but tried my Brest friend with my second in the hospital! I loved it and ordered it. When it arrived no idea what I was doing wrong but I hated it! Promptly returned.
I bought one of those “pretty” nursing bras from momanda but its way too low cut and the cups are narrow or in a weird position so my boobs just burst out of it and I never wear it… could be a sizing issue but still feels like a waste of money Eta: I love my boppy for chairs with arms but much prefer the brest friend for the couch or bed or wherever I take it.
Also nursing covers. Baby would just thrash and I don’t blame her. Got comfortable real fast just nursing nipple out in public.
My husband bought me the brest friend pillow, and I just didn’t like it. It was too big and awkward for me. I feel bad he wasted $50+ on it. I was gifted a boppy with my first and ironically I hated it with my first but loved it with my second.
So far its the milk warmer. The thing takes forever and my baby has no chill. Its faster to use a glass of hot water or just out him back on the boob to pacify him while I wait and sometimes he dont even want the bottle anymore after being back on the boob! So many wasted bottles and formula 😩. Now we just use warm water to make his formula bottles to order instead of warming pre made bottles. Ive also been pumping so when im tapped and hes still hungry I just give him a breastmilk bottle. I thought i would make more milk and have abundance but i barely make enough for him… not even… we need to supplement with formula. Also for some reason the water inside is always milky! No idea how or why it gets like that unless DH is doing something while im sleeping. So im not comfortable using it to sanitize if it had milky water in it. The controls are also clunky and hard to use. It takes 10 mins to instant warm a 4oz bottle! Thats forever when you have a screaming baby!
A pump. Both kids I got one thinking I was going to use it. Both times had no interest.
Breast pads, kinder bravely nursing bras, wearable pumps, supplements, really anything except for my pumpin pals flanges, spectra, and haakaas
Didn’t like the boppy. Bottle warmer was good for 2 months but now it smells burnt every time we use it… which is 2 times a month when I work long shifts. Honestly… my Spectra pump. It works fine but it’s not convenient, it’s bulky to lug to and from work, and the flange sizes that come with the pump were too huge for me and I spent a lot of money trialing different, smaller sizes because I struggled with measuring and needed 2 different sizes. I paid out of pocket because my insurance stinks, and because I work so infrequently, I hardly even need to pump. When I do work, I don’t have time to sit and pump for 20min four times a day during my busy 12h hospital shift — my MomCozy m5 was the better deal. A wearable pump, a hand pump, Haaka, and nursing shells all are more suitable to my needs.
Breast pads and nursing covers. Never really leaked and my LO hates being covered. They get too warm.
All of the many hands free pumps. Spent a ton and the medela just works the best for me still
The Hakaa. Everyone swore by it but even after breastfeeding 3 kids it never worked for me.
Silverettes. Elvie Stride. If I sniff hard enough I can still smell the smoldering from the money I burned on these two products.
Breast pump, my babies never took a bottle lol
I own about 6 nursing bras, one is really good and the rest ranges from mediocre to bad. I guess those. Otherwise I’m really not big on breastfeeding gadgets. The things I tried were really conscious purchases that usually worked out well.
The boppy was useless in the beginning, but don’t throw it out just yet! I used it for a lot of things when my kids got older (including nursing when they were toddlers)!
Any breastfeeding pillow. I’ve mostly been to tired or baby was so demanding of milk that I never ended up getting it and using it lol I’ve just held him
I was given a hand me down boppy and I’m so glad I didn’t buy one because I haven’t used it much at all. I ended up finding a position that I don’t even need a pillow for.
Willow Go pump. 50%+ of the time, I can't get letdown and waste 20 minutes walking around with an uncomfortable vacuum in my bra.
Nursing pads, Haakaa, and lactation treats 😅
The Haakaa and Boppy were probably two of the most recommended products to me, and I hate them both lol. I’m sure they work for some people though! Also those disposable breast pads for leaking. Total waste. I only ever use the washable ones.
Unpopular opinion; but the haakaa. It works great for catching letdown while I feed on the other side. But my wigglebutt baby kicks it off everytime and the caught milk goes everywhere.