This post is sponsored by Willow® who provided me with complimentary product in exchange for my review.
I’ve been a bit delayed in getting this review live, but I’m very excited to share my experience using the Willow Wearable Breast Pump with you today! It may seem dramatic to say but the Willow pump changed my life; or at least my breastfeeding and pumping life. I’m not sure I would have made it to this point, 9 months of breastfeeding Nicholas if I didn’t have the Willow. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to receive a complimentary product in exchange for my review, but my experience has been so great I’d absolutely buy this myself and feel so confident recommending to all of you. I even convinced my best friend to buy one if that helps sell you at all 😉
So what is the Willow? Willow® Pump is a wearable breast pump with NO wires that can be worn fully inside your nursing bra. Willow has just a few parts; the pump which basically looks like a battery operated breast, the flange and flex tube which connect to the pump (the only two parts you have to clean!) and the spill proof milk bags which collect your pumped milk all within your bra. My husband jokes that I look like I have robot boobs when I’m pumping with the Willow, but I would much rather be Robo-boob than a cow hooked up to a more traditional pump- but maybe that’s just me! It kind of sounds like a cool mom super hero that we are all trying to be haha!
Why do I love Willow so much? Well basically it lets you live your life while pumping and providing breast milk for your child! When maternity leave was coming to a close for me, I was absolutely overwhelmed with the thought of fitting in multiple twenty minute pumping sessions a day while trying to keep things going smoothly at home. Once I got Willow, I was able to regain some of my sanity around that. I could pump while making dinner, while getting ready for work in the morning, before bed when I got packed up for the next day. I didn’t have to sit down pump and then do those things because with Willow, I could pump on the go.
Even more important than having the ability to pump while getting things done, I’ve used my Willow pump during weekends away with friends, during family holiday celebrations and when I’m playing with Nicholas. Over Christmas it let me continue a long game of Monopoly with my family without a break. I love that it helps prevent the often isolating feeling of having to go in the other room to pump.
Willow® Pump is a bit different from your traditional pump so it did take a bit of time for me to get in the groove with putting it on and aligning it. With your pump purchase, you can access a coaching session which I definitely recommend in order to get set up faster.
Another thing to note with Willow is the bags. The bags only hold 4 ounces of milk which isn’t typically an issue for me except for during my morning pump when I’ve gone the whole night. If you regularly pump more than 4 ounces a side at a time, you’ll just need to have another bag handy to quickly change out once the first one is full. It’s really easy to do and the app is great at alerting you. My only complaint here is while the bags hold four ounces, my pump often recognizes them as full at about 3.8 ounces and auto-shuts off the pump. It’s a small difference but I try to get as much as possible in the bags.
That brings me to the Willow app! Your Willow pumps are connected through Bluetooth to an app on your phone. I love the app because it lets you know how much you’ve pumped, saves your history from prior pumping sessions and is a one-stop shop (literally includes a place to order additional bags,etc) for all things Willow.
Willow®is actually launching their newly updated Willow 2.0 this month with a few improvements from the version I have. The 2.0 version has clear flanges which I think would be helpful for getting alignment right. With the release of 2.0, the original Willow, which I have, has had a price reduction so that’s something to consider too! If you have a HSA, I’ve purchased the milk bags for my Willow through it and could use this for purchasing the pump as well.
Seeing you could spend hundreds (or even thousands!) of hours pumping as a nursing mom, wouldn’t you prefer to spend those hours living your life with Willow instead of plugged in to a wall? I know I would- and do! I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to use Willow® as part of my breastfeeding experience.
If you have any questions about my experience with Willow, please leave a comment below or feel free to drop me an email- I’m happy to answer! I’ll respond to comments below so everyone can see.
Update- November 2019: The Willow® is hands down the item I get asked about most. Thanks to the Willow I was able to breastfeed Nicholas for 12 months. I am very sure I wouldn’t have made it that long if I did not have this pump. It is absolutely worth it. Since I wrote my review, Willow launched the 2.0 pump which addresses some of the concerns raised by their initial users. In addition to having the option to pump into the bags I mentioned in my review, the Willow 2.0 also has the option to pump into a container which minimizes the waste associated with the single use bags. Using the container is still completely portable and wearable! How amazing is that? While I have not personally used the containers or the 2.0 version of the pump, I did want to provide an update for anyone currently considering the Willow!
xoxo, Jenna
