I recently purchased a Willow breast pump and I am very curious how it works and can’t find any videos or diagrams explaining how it works! It is a wearable pump with no cords. I’d like to know how it is pumping my milk, it doesn’t appear to create an air tight seal so I don’t understand how it’s creating suction to express the milk.
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@missanmiddle it uses a rechargeable battery for power and the pump slides inside a regular bra and mimics the sucking action of a nursing child. Milk is expressed through tubes into four-ounce storage bags that fit inside. It appears as if you do not need an airtight seal but a bra to apply a certain amount of pressure. https://www.medgadget.com/2018/01/willow... and this one https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/10/how-... might help to show it a bit better
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Hi @missanmiddle! It sounds like you might be having trouble latching? It’s tricky at first! Try holding the pump in place with your hand for a few seconds, until you hear it pumping. Good luck!
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Mom E it is working fine for me, I just want to know how it works, how is it pumping milk? I want to know the engineering behind it!
Best I can tell from watching the videos (and trying to figure out its function myself!) the spout coming off the flange has those 2 plastic nubs, which lock into the motor/battery unit- and they can be pulled away from each other, which would create the suction. So the vacuum is created right on that second part, and the milk is expresse then transferred into the storage bags with a one way valve. Let me know if this looks correct! This is only my best guess :p
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