- I struggled to breastfeed with all my children, so I turned to exclusively pumping with all three.
- I've tested almost all pumps in the US market.
- The Willow pump is one of the few hands-free pumps available right now, and it worked for me.
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As a mom of three kids who has exclusively pumped, I have tested almost every single breast pump in the market. I have also pumped everywhere (including a plane) and I have a list of the pumps I love and the ones I don't. The Willow is up there in the "loves" category because it allowed me to do more than just pump.
The Willow is one of the few hands-free pumps available right now. You get one pump for each breast that you can easily tuck inside your bra to semi-discreetly pump. There are no chords, no bottles hanging from your breasts, and no loud suction noises.
I loved the freedom of the Willow
There were a lot of things I loved about having a hands-free pump. It allowed me to play with my children, even run outside with them. Not having to be plugged into a wall also allowed me to help feed my twins while pumping.
A lot of moms get the Willow to use at work. I pumped through Zoom meetings without anyone realizing since the pumps can be disguised under clothes (especially in a remote work situation). This allowed me to keep to my pumping schedule and also type freely.
The pump also gave me freedom to choose how to store the milk I expressed. I alternated between using the bags and the milk catchers, depending on whether I needed more milk for the day or if I could add some to my freezer stash.
The bags reduced the need to transfer milk from the pump to a bag and then to the freezer. Every step you remove while having a screaming newborn next to you is worth it.
I still needed a second, hospital grade, pump
As an exclusive pumper who also overproduced breast milk, the Willow needed help from a stronger pump, especially first thing in the morning and last thing before bed, to help me avoid getting clogs or mastitis.
There's also learning curve to the Willow. It's not as plug-and-play as the pumps offered at the hospital, and even with a video training from the brand I still lost a little bit of breast milk every time I was done with my pumping, doing the Flip-to-Finish technique. That was more an annoyance than anything else since I was overproducing, but for those who need every single drop of milk, this might be a game-changer.
Because I overproduced milk, I always had to change bags and empty the container halfway through a session. It did kind of interrupt the flow (no pun intended) of my sessions.
Is the Willow pump worth it?
Even with its steep price tag of $499, I think the Willow is worth the investment. It may especially be worth it for those who need to pump while also taking care of children, or while working.
I know of breastfeeding moms who use just one of the pumps while they feed their baby on the other breast to save milk in the freezer just in case. So even if you don't exclusively pump, don't rule it out.