How Haakaa Can Make Night Feeds Easier

This blog is written by Lauren Brenton from One Mama Midwife

Night feeds can feel relentless in the early months. Just when you finally fall asleep, your baby wakes again, wanting comfort, connection, milk or sometimes all three. Then you’re on social media and getting slammed with “sleep training” pressure. 

And while social media loves to glorify “sleeping through,” research tells us something very different night waking is biologically normal for babies, especially breastfed babies.

But there are ways to make overnight feeding feel easier, calmer and less exhausting. Before we go into it, I want to acknowledge a few things:

1. Night feeds are so important for our babies growth and development
2. Some babies stop night feeds early, others feed overnight up to and over 12 month
3. It’s easier said than done, but those night feeds are such special precious time just you and your baby (even though it may not feel that way)

For many breastfeeding mums, the Haakaa Silicone Breast Pump and Haakaa Colostrum Collectors become surprisingly useful overnight essentials.

Night feeds are normal

Research consistently shows that breastfed and formula babies wake frequently overnight, particularly in the first 6–12 months. Importantly, studies also suggest breastfeeding mothers do not necessarily get less total sleep overall compared to formula-feeding mothers.

Why? Because breastfeeding hormones often help both mum and baby settle back to sleep more quickly.

The goal therefore is not always eliminating night feeds it is often making them more manageable. It’s also about managing expectations and trying to change the way that we feel about night feeds.

Why Haakaa helps overnight

One of the biggest struggles during night feeds is minimising disruption. Bright lights, setting up pumps, preparing bottles and fully waking yourself up can make returning to sleep much harder. Many mums use the Haakaa overnight to:

• collect milk from the opposite breast during feeds
• relieve uncomfortable fullness
• save leaking milk without needing a full pump session
• prepare small top-ups for later feeds or for partner feeds
• reduce time spent attached to electric pumps

Its quiet, cord-free design is often ideal for middle-of-the-night feeds.

The power of small milk collections

A lot of parents assume milk collection only “counts” if you pump large amounts. But interestingly, most women who have amazing breastmilk supplies aren’t able to pump out large volumes- me included! Overnight let-downs can be strong, and even passive collection can add up significantly over several feeds.

The Haakaa Colostrum Collectors can also be useful for storing small volumes collected overnight. Their soft silicone design allows parents to collect, store and feed small amounts without transferring between multiple containers.

This can be particularly helpful in the early newborn phase when babies may only need tiny amounts at a time.

Keeping expectations realistic

There is enormous pressure placed on parents to achieve long stretches of infant sleep quickly. But infant sleep is developmental, not something parents “cause” by training or feeding in a particular way.

Research continues to show that night waking is common and responsive feeding remains biologically normal. Sometimes the goal is simply:

• easier feeds
• less stress
• less washing
• fewer steps at 2am

And honestly? That is enough. You are doing more than enough, you are doing amazing no matter what your feeding journey looks like.

Night feeds can feel isolating, exhausting and never-ending while you’re in them. But they are also temporary. Small supports like keeping a Haakaa nearby, collecting milk passively or having stored colostrum ready to go can make overnight parenting feel just a little lighter.

And in postpartum life, small things often make the biggest difference.

Written by Lauren Brenton

Endorsed Midwife, mum of 5, Founder One Mama Midwife