Can you REALLY pump in ANY position with the Willow Breast Pump?

Can you really pump in ANY position with the Willow breast pump?

This is the big question! Wearable breast pumps like the Willow and Elvie are becoming very popular, and while there are many pros and cons to both of these pumps, the one BIG pro to the Willow pump is the completely closed system.

What does this mean?

Any pump where you’re putting milk into a hard container like a bottle or other hard plastic container, HAS to have an air vent for air to escape during the suction cycle. This means that if you move in a way that milk can escape through this hole, it likely will.

With the Willow pump, when using the Willow bags there is no air escape hole necessary in the suction loop, so there is (in theory) NOWHERE for the milk to leak from. So technically, yes, you could pump while standing on your head and the milk would stay in the bag.

So… I wanted to test this out!

Yoga with the Willow Pump

I decided to put on my Willow pumps and do 10 minutes of yoga in a variety of positions to see if there were any unexpected leaks! If you want to watch the video, here it is!

Results

So… can you really pump in any position with the Willow pumps?

I think you can! After my yoga session, I had 7 oz of breast milk and no leaks! Every drop of breastmilk was contained in the pump/bag system.

Was it the most comfortable, easy yoga I’ve ever done? Definitely not. But I wasn’t expecting it to be considering I had two large pumps in the way! Everything I tried was doable, but my arm movements were a bit restricted. Poses like “Childs pose” were also difficult due to the pumps being in the way, but with a little modification was no problem.

Would I recommend exercising regularly while pumping? No 🙂

I really did this to test out their claim and to share it with you! I did see a post recently of a mom who ran a marathon with her Willow pumps and pumped along the way. Good for her! It actually is possible, and a great place to utilize this feature is while you SLEEP.

That’s right, pump while you sleep. One of the best times I can foresee this being used is those middle of the night pumps and nobody likes. Whether you’re an exclusively pumping mom, trying to maintain a good milk supply, or separated from your baby, the Willow pump would make life SO much easier! It also has an automatic shut off, so even if you fell asleep (which I hope you do!) the pumps will shut off when they’re full or the timer runs out.

Where can I get a Willow breast pump?

There are 3 options here.

Directly from the Willow website is a great place to start. You can use coupons or discounts that Willow offers, check out this video to see the most current offers from Willow!

You can also order via Amazon, because who doesn’t love Amazon???

OR you can see if your insurance provider will cover part or all of the cost of the Willow! Start with a company like Aeroflow and see if that’s an option for you. Some insurance companies will also let you buy the pump from one of the places listed above and then submit a reimbursement form, so ask about that too.

I hope you enjoy your new Willow Pump! If you’ve pumped in a unique way, please comment on the video above! I would love to hear from you.

Happy Pumping!