Clogged Milk Ducts can be so painful for a breastfeeding mama. With so many different potential causes: incorrect breastfeeding latch, engorgement, excessive pressure on your breasts, and more- it’s not an uncommon thing for women to get! What we want to provide you within this article is some relief! Keep reading to learn about how to get rid of those pesky clogged milk ducts with the Haakaa Breast Pump.
As we talked about earlier this week, the Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump is super popular amongst new moms.
While its most popular use is to collect extra breast milk easily while breastfeeding, one of the lesser-known but SUPER awesome uses is to remove a clogged duct.
Many women claim that this is the only way they were able to get clogged ducts out. If you are struggling to remove a tricky one, you are definitely going to want to try this out.
And if you are new to breastfeeding or just need some support, make sure you check out one of our on-demand, online breastfeeding classes. We go over TONS of common breastfeeding problems, pumping, and milk supply!
- Online Breastfeeding Class
- Breast Milk Supply and Pumping Class
- Troubleshooting Breastfeeding Online Class
What IS a clogged milk duct?
A clogged milk duct is a hard tender lump that forms within your breast’s milk ducts. These little lumps can interfere with the flow of your milk to your little babe and can cause redness, swelling, and pain in the areas that are clogged. These are highly common with women who breastfeed and are nothing you should worry too seriously about- just something you’ll want to get taken care of quickly!
How To Get Rid Of Clogged Ducts With The Haakaa:
5 Easy Steps!
What You Need:
- About 1 cup warm water
- 2 Tablespoons Epsom Salts
- Haakaa Suction Pump
What to Do:
- Take your magical Haakaa pump and fill it with warm water until the water touches your nipple. Be careful that the water isn’t too hot- you don’t want to burn yourself!
- Add one to two tablespoons of Epsom salts to the warm water in the Haakaa.
- Squeeze the bottom of your Haakaa creating suction and attach the pump to your breast. Leave the Haakaa on your breast between 10-15 minutes.
- The trio of heat, suction, and Epsom salts should help loosen and remove the clogged duct from your breast.
- If you have a particularly stubborn clogged duct you may need to repeat this process several times until you find relief.
Success Stories:
@thebfmama Have you tried this 🤯 ##learnontiktok ##tiktokpartner ##lactationhelp ##newmomhacks ##parentinghack101 ##lactationhelp ##newmomtobesoon ##breasmilkbooster
♬ BREATHE – Jérôme Cosniam
We posted about this on TikTok, and it went totally viral! I couldn’t believe all the responses we got from other moms saying that they had success with this OR they wish they’d known about it earlier.
Here are a few comments we got:
“Yep, this method worked for me!”
“This has SAVED MY LIFE. Thank you, TikTok!”
“My Uncle’s girlfriend told me about this method. This has helped me twice when mine were clogged. Most painful feeling ever!
“This totally works. Might take 2 or 3 tries before it fully comes out, but it really works.”
“This 1000 percent works.”
“Yesss! This is the only thing that works for me when I get them!”
FAQ:
Where can I buy a Haakaa breast pump?
The Haakaa breast pump has really taken the world by storm and luckily can be found at most large stores such as Target, Walmart, Amazon, as well as, most baby supply stores. If you’re addicted to Amazon like I am, you can find the basic Haakaa there for only $12.94. However, if you’re in a rush to get out a clogged duct and want to go to a store to buy the Haakaa you should check out Target which sells a variety of Haakaa’s ranging from $20-$40.
Amazon: Haakaa Manual Breast Pump
Target: Haakaa Breast Pump With White Flower Stopper
Are there any substitutes for the Haakaa?
Yes! There are now a variety of different brands that all produce similar silicone manual breast pumps for a slightly lower or equal cost. Target offers a Lansinoh Breast Milk Collector for $14.99. Walmart offers a generic Silicone Manual Breast Pump for only $9.22. While I can’t attest to the quality of each of these options, it’s great that there is a wide variety for all types of budgets or needs.
Where can I buy Epsom salts?
Epsom salt can be purchased at most drug stores such as CVS and Walgreens as well as the big stores such as Walmart and Target. You can expect to spend less than $5 on salts so don’t worry about having to make a crazy investment!
What else can I use a Haakaa for?
If you’re interested in just learning more about the Haakaa Breast Pump, be sure to check out our other article regarding what the Haakaa is and how to use it. (insert link for Haakaa article).
More Posts You Might Enjoy:
- 6 Elastic Nipple Solutions for More Comfortable Pumping
- 5 Soothing Solutions for Sore and Cracked Nipples from Breastfeeding
- Why is Breastfeeding Painful? 5 Common Causes of Pain While Breastfeeding
The Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump: What All New Moms Should Know
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O.M.G. Using the Haakaa to clear a clog was amazing. Warm compresses normally did the trick but this time I had a giant, super painful clog. I’m amazed to see the Epsom salt mix pulling the milk out and I swear I feel immediate relief. Total life saver. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear this!
Confused about whether the nipple is supposed to soak in the water or not
Yes, it should.
How often can this be done? I’ve been trying a couple times a day for 3 days and no success.
It can be done multiple times a day. I hope it eventually helped!
Can I breastfeed immediately after?
Yes! I would wipe off your breast, though.
Can you use regular salt?
You could try!
Do you have to use pure Epsom salts for this? Or is it fine to use the ones with lavender or other ingredients? Thank you!
I have used scented ones!
I did the hasta method 3x yesterday and successfully moved a painful clot- thank you! I also have a white blurb on my nipple, any suggestions to remedy that?
So happy to hear this! For a bleb, I recommend this article: https://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/nipplebleb/