Tongue-Ties and Using the Willow Pump
I help pumping parents every single day to make the Willow Pump work for them, but there is one issue that can derail this pump’s success…
Nursing a baby with a tongue-tie or oral dysfunction - even minor dysfunction.
WHY?!
Because even minor dysfunction leads to a baby using their tongue inappropriately. Or, it leads to baby using compensatory behaviors (using the tongue, lips, cheeks, or jaws in a way they shouldn’t to help make up for a deficit in skill elsewhere) that cause at least minor tissue trauma. There isn’t a way around this as long as the dysfunction persists. If the breast or nipple are being compressed, chomped, or pinched, it’s going to do some damage.
Now, place that damaged tissue is a closely fit flange under constant suction with a heavy pump requiring a firm bra fit to really make sure the pressure is applied to this tissue.
Can you see how this could quickly turn a situation where the parent might not even be in pain from the minor damage, and may even be able to pump with a regular, more gentle pump, without issue, into a painful nipple nightmare?
Yeah, its not exactly hard to see where these two issues can collide into one uncomfortable mess.
In this case, the Willow Pump is causing the pain, but at the same time, it’s not the root cause of the pain. This means the solution to the pain may have nothing to do with the Willow Pump. And, if the parent doesn’t want to do anything about the root cause, the answer may simply be they aren’t going to be able to comfortably use this pump unless something changes.
There really isn’t a flange or insert of any size that’s going to do anything to make a nipple, with even minor trauma, feel good under constant suction with a heavy pump pressed into it. I wish there was, but there isn’t.
If you want to use the Willow despite your baby’s latch causing an issue, you really have three options:
You can work with a skilled care team to fully address the oral dysfunction your baby is experiencing to teach you and your baby how to successfully latch WITHOUT compensatory behaviors in play. That way, the root cause of the issue is resolved, and then, you have healthy, untraumatized tissue to try with the Willow.
You can choose to use the Willow knowing there is going to be discomfort, and there is an elevated chance of further tissue trauma. You are an adult, and that gives you the right to choose a somewhat risky choice and accept the consequences. You can somewhat mitigate the risks of this plan by working to fully rule out any other potential causes of discomfort, so that hopefully, the risk of damage is reduced, and the level of discomfort is manageable.
You can choose not to address the issues with your baby’s latch/oral function and discontinue the use of the Willow Pump to allow for reduction in discomfort. The Willow Pump is far from the only pump on the market, which means there are other options.
Why is Willow Pump Worth Using?
Willow Pump offers the only leak-free unlimited position pumping experience on the market today. It offers an unrivaled amount of freedom compared to even other wearable pumps, and allows parents to pump in situations that previously may have felt impossible or unattainable to pump successfully.
It is a perfect breast pump? No, but it’s currently about as close as it gets, with no indicators of a competitor coming even remotely close anytime soon.
One major challenge with this pump is the trade off for the freedom offered in a pump that requires careful attention to sizing. Even a single millimeter makes a huge difference in the ability to tolerate the strong, constant suction this pump is well known for. Getting your nipple measurement that precise, and understanding exactly how your elasticity, size of the nipple, shape of the nipple, and shape of the breast factor in to choosing exactly the right fit is not easy to say the least.
Are you ready to understand what is going on with your baby’s oral function so you can find a path forward?
