There are a couple of small physical controls on the Willow itself: a power button, a mode button, and a plus and minus button to change the suction level. You always turn on the pump manually to start a session, but you need the Willow Go app to be able to see which mode or level you’re using (you can tell the difference, and Willow always start at the lowest level) and how long you’ve been pumping.
The Willow Go has two pumping modes: a stimulation mode and an expression mode. Both have several absorption levels and rhythms that the app can choose from. Willow Go starts in stimulation mode for two minutes before switching to expression, to try to imitate how a baby starts feeding and activates let down. You can manually switch modes on Willow and within the app, and also change the intensity, to find the ideal setting. Each side is controlled separately, and you’ll see a timer in the app to show your total pumping time for each pump (but not how long you spent in each mode). It promises hospital-grade suction like Style Advanced’s classic Medela Pump, and I pump the same number of ounces I do with my Spectra S1.
I tried the Willow Go with a sports nursing bra and one of Willow’s own pumping bras. Both have full coverage and a hook to allow the bra to fall all the way down and then secure around the pump and chest, which is what you should be looking for in any bra you use on a you can use the pump. It fits well with the same bra and is comfortable to wear, but it’s definitely not smart.
Party in parts
Each side of the Willow Go has six parts: a bowl container, a duckbill valve, a diaphragm, a flange, a back container, and the pump itself sits in the middle of all these parts. . Total there are two bombs, that’s 12 pieces for the bomb. Willow also has two USB-A power cords to charge each pump, but no power adapter.
All of these features, including its insertion into your bra, make it difficult to get a visual of how much you’re pumping. If you’re trying to check your progress or see if you’re squeezing every ounce of fluid out of your body, you should do some head angling to see if anything is coming out of the valve. duck bill. It is recommended to pump for about 15 minutes, but you should know after a few uses how long a pump session your body needs.
While you don’t wash the center pump, you wash the other 10 parts. That’s not a small number, but the Spectra S1 has the same number of washable features. But I prefer to wash the Willow Go pieces. They’re bigger, easier to hold and easier to air or dry by hand compared to some of the smaller breast pump parts that I’m always afraid I’ll drop down the sink. I really like that the bowl holder comes out all the way so I can clean it, instead of scrubbing another baby bottle. These parts are also dishwasher safe.
