For What to Expect's "What I Wish I'd Known" series, moms and dads share the wisdom they’ve gained since first becoming parents.
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After coming home from the hospital, I was breastfeeding my newborn almost constantly, often waking up every two hours at night to feed him. I needed a break — or at least several hours of sleep in a row — but I was way too overwhelmed to try pumping, I wasn't ready to give formula a go, and I thought I didn't have any other feeding options. That's when our pediatrician suggested something brilliant: using breast milk collection cups.
As a first-time mom, I hadn't heard of these catcher cups before, but they can make a big difference if you're breastfeeding and in need of a breather. Here's what I wish other nursing moms knew about them.
Milk collection offers an easy alternative to electric pumps
When our pediatrician asked me how I was doing at our son's 1-month appointment, I told her the truth: "I'm really struggling with sleep," I remember saying. My son's frequent nighttime meals were taking a toll physically and emotionally, and I wasn't sure what to do.
Her advice? Use milk collection cups during the day. Milk collection cups are silicone or plastic "shells" you can pop in your bra to catch leaks. By wearing them at certain times during the day, I could collect enough milk for a bottle that my husband could give the baby while I slept at night.
I'd get a solid chunk of rest, and I wouldn't have to deal with using an electric pump, which seemed intimidating at the time. Assembling tubing, flanges, and membranes? Adding extra suction on my already sore nipples? Cleaning and sterilizing every component multiple times per day? It wasn't something I was itching to try.
"During the newborn period, every extra ounce counts, but many moms are too exhausted to squeeze in full pumping sessions," says Suzanne Chan, a board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner and certified lactation counselor, and member of the What to Expect Medical Review Board. "Catch cups allow moms to passively collect milk, turning what used to be lost milk (leaking or dripping during let-downs) into usable milk for a partner-sharing bottle feed. This can help a breastfeeding mom get a stretch of sleep early in the night, which is hugely protective against postpartum mood disorders. Even a single three- or four-hour stretch can meaningfully reduce postpartum anxiety, irritability, and mental load."
How to collect breast milk passively and make the newborn period easier
As a heads up, milk collection works for some moms better than others. I fortunately didn't have milk supply problems, and I did (for better or for worse) have really leaky breasts. If you're in a similar boat, here's what I'd recommend doing:
Try milk collection cups
Milk collection cups can keep your shirt dry while you go about your business changing, burping, and taking excessive photos of your baby. They don't have any suction, so they won't stimulate any additional milk production, but if you're pretty leaky, you can catch a good amount.
After I Amazon Prime-d some Elvie catch cups, I'd often get 1 ounce on one side while I breastfed from the other. I didn't wear them all the time; just by catching the let-down two or three times a day, I'd have enough for a bottle a night. (Wearing them for long periods of time — more than four hours — isn't recommended because the milk can get too warm, and your nipples need a chance to dry.) While it didn't build up a freezer "stash" of milk, the cups got the job done during the newborn stage.
Experiment with a manual pump, like the Haakaa
After starting with the milk collection cups, I later graduated to a manual pump. I went for the very popular Haakaa, but many brands make them. The Haakaa is only one piece, so it's even less to clean, and it has a greater capacity than the cups.
A manual pump provides some suction, so it will collect more milk. It can help if you want to build up a stash, but be mindful of what it can signal to your body: that you need to produce more milk.
"The Haakaa typically doesn’t affect supply, but using it at nearly every feed, especially on the opposite breast, can increase production and potentially contribute to oversupply, engorgement, or a faster letdown in people who are supply-sensitive," Dr. Chan says.
I found it easiest to use the Haakaa once or twice a day at home (it's less discreet than the cups), and I was able to start freezing some milk for later. I found that squeezing the Haakaa before placing it on my breast and letting go would create enough suction that it would stay put while I nursed from the other side (but without causing painful engorgement).
Use these feeding tips to save time and money
Whether you try the collection cups or the manual pump or both, there are a few things to keep in mind:
- Like other pumping equipment, they're HSA- and FSA-eligible. Bonus: You'll end up spending less money on disposable nursing pads in the long run.
- There's only one size – no need to measure your nipple and figure out your flange size.
- Keep the milk you collect refrigerated. Breast milk is good at room temp for up to four hours, but if you can chill it, it lasts up to four days.[1]
- You'll need to clean your gear regularly (after each use for the Haakaa, and at least every four hours for the cups), but they have fewer pieces compared to the many individual parts that make up an electric pump.
Feel confident about introducing a bottle
While collecting the milk seemed simple enough, I initially felt a little unsure about what introducing a bottle would mean for my baby. Would he grow less interested in breastfeeding?
With the right bottle, probably not, says Kaylee Rabaja, a registered nurse and board-certified lactation consultant. Choose one that mimics breastfeeding, she advises.
"Bottles should be shaped in a way that’s similar to having a deep latch at the breast (aka a gradually sloped nipple)," Rabaja says. "Bottles also need a flow rate that’s similar to the breast … meaning, if it takes 20 minutes to breastfeed, it should also take 20 minutes to bottle feed." In most cases, starting with a slow-flow bottle is a safe choice.
In my case, my son quickly picked up bottle-feeding with NUK bottles, and he still seemed to enjoy our nursing cuddles just as much as before.
Getting him used to the bottle early also helped a lot when we had grandparents and other caregivers helping out, or when we wanted to feed him on the go. I also felt confident that when he started day care he'd be ready to take bottles from his teachers.
Over time, my breasts started leaking less (yay!), and my baby started sleeping for longer stretches. Plus, I finally got the energy to figure out my electric pump, which turned out to be not nearly as complicated as I thought it would be. In that hazy newborn stretch, though, milk collection was the feeding hack that got me through.
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