Willow Pump: Buy with Realistic Expectations
The Willow Pump is not an unbox and press start breast pump. It is not an intuitive machine that you can open up and begin your pumping journey. While the Willow Pump is a fantastic advancement in breast pump technology, and the ability to pump fully clothed with no wires into a spill proof self-contained bag is a game changer, it requires significant research and education and practice to be able to utilize this pump in the manor it was designed.
Many people attempt to use it straight out of the box without issue to begin with, only to then find themselves sore, swollen, damaged, and frustrated at their ridiculously expensive pump that caused them pain. The amount of follow-on work to do to try to fix these issues and make the Willow work for them costs more money than they anticipated, but required, to make Willow functional for them again.. This is a huge source of frustration for many people as they bought the Willow to make pumping more manageable but instead find themselves with a different pile of work and additional money to spend.
Common reasons for Willow Pump to be challenging:
Despite not seeing the consequences of bad flange sizing with a gentle pump like the Spectra, there may be swelling, tenderness, and bruising there that the Willow brings attention to.
The suction is so different that your body has to be trained to it, and that can take time depending on your situation. Some people are fortunate and their bodies respond super fast, others take 2-6 weeks to adjust. That’s a long time to work with a breast pump you can’t use on its own very well. This Willow Pump Adjustment Protocol will help!
Willow Pump may bring to light everything with your pumping and nursing situation that required lactation care all along. Some pumps can allow you to limp along without having to address these issues - Willow is not one of those.
The Willow Pump isn’t cheap. The pump and replacement parts aren’t cheap. The inserts you likely need aren’t cheap. The new inserts you will likely need at some point aren’t cheap. The lactation support you may need to make this pump work for you isn’t cheap. This is a serious financial investment you should consider before buying a $500 pump to act as a paperweight when the ongoing costs make it impossible for you to get it working well.
Learning to align this pump can be beyond tricky. Learning to keep it aligned while hooking your bra takes patience and practice.
Not every bra will work with Willow, and you may have to try several until you find the right fit for your breast anatomy combined with the fairly heavy and bulky Willow Pump. Bras aren’t cheap so this is yet another expense to consider.
So is the Willow Pump worth the time and expense required to make it work?
Absolutely!
BUT! If you aren’t prepared to deal with a pump that requires significant time and financial investment, perhaps a different pump could be a better fit for you. If you are not sure if this is the right pump for your situation, book a consultation today, and we can discuss all the factors to consider before you invest in something that may or may not support your needs and goals.
