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Are you searching for Willow pump bag hacks? Of all the Willow baby products, the pump bags are acclaimed to be the greatest of all time. Because of their versatility, parents are now able to pump for their babies, even as they go about their daily business.
As versatile as the Willow pump bags are, there are hacks you can adopt to make your experience even better than it currently is.
In this article, we give you 10 uncommon willow pump bag hacks to better your nursing experience. Sit up!
How To Remove Air From Willow Bag
To have a firm grasp on willow pump bag hacks, it is pertinent to know how to remove air from the bag. Here are ways to do it;
1) Drop a toothpick inside the valve to keep it open, place the bag down on the table, and evacuate air out of the bag by pressing it from the end across the opening.
2) Ensure you are on the right bra. The right bra will almost fully cover the pump, in the course of pumping, and also support it at the top and bottom. Keep tightening your bra straps until Willow feels quite firm. One of the best bras for willow breast bump is the Momcozy 4-in-1 Pumping Bra. You can click to check it out on Amazon.
3) Hold the pump tightly to your breast, and do not close your bra, until the stimulation phase is attained.
4) Ensure to press the pump/pause button before suspending the latch.
How to Reuse Willow Bags
Although the Willow brand recommends that the bags should be used just once, reusing them doesn’t have to be a deal breaker. It is just one of the Willow pump bag hacks, and depends on you, as a parent.
1) If you have to reuse your Willow bags, ensure that they are not only completely empty but also free of air.
2) Reuse the bags in less than 24 hours. If you pump every 3 hours, it is more hygienic that you reuse the bags for the next pumping session.
4) Between pumping sessions, store the emptied bag away in the fridge.
5) Opt for a reusable container
Once more, the choice to reuse the bags is dependent on you and your mommy instincts. But, note that valuable nutrients can be lost by mixing milk that was expressed earlier and has already cooled down, with fresh and warm milk.
Willow Pump Milk Not Going Into Bag
In the course of pumping milk for your little one, you may find that a small amount of milk is no longer going into the Willow bag, even after flipping to finish. This is normal.
But if, after flipping to finish, you find that a handful of milk is present in the flex tube, you may have to go through the process again. Here’s how;
- Close your pump back up
- Ensure it is turned on
- Press the pump/pause button
- Do flip to finish again
Completion of those steps should get the trapped milk right into the bag. Keep in mind that a few drops left in the tube are not out of place.
If, after flipping to finish, more than a few drops stay in the flex tube, you can consider pouring them from the insert into a bottle. It should help.
How to Freeze Willow Bags
When it comes to Willow pump bags hacks, how to freeze willow bags is another important piece of information. Below is how;
1) Add a date on the bag before placing it in the freezer. Willow bags come with a convenient tab at the top to record the milk’s pumped date. Just check it.
2) Keep your milk bags sorted and place all the frozen milk bags from the same month in a bigger gallon-sized ziplock bag.
3) Add the “milked pumped date” and “expiration date” on the exterior of the ziplock bag.
4) Place your Willow milk bags flat in the freezer. This makes storage easier and helps you make the best out of your freezer space.
Keep in mind that pumped milk can be kept in the freezer for up to six months, in the refrigerator for four days, and at room temperature for just four hours.
How to Get Milk Out of Willow Bag
As with any milk storage bag, a small amount of milk may remain in the bag. And given the possibility of some milk fat sticking to the sides, it is not an abnormal development.
To cut down on the quantity of milk that gets stuck by the sides, the following tips can help.
1) Open the milk bag and put the spout into your storage container. Thereafter, tilt the bag slowly and empty your milk into a storage container.
2) Locate the dotted line on the bag, and cut it with clean, dry scissors.
3) If you plan to use the milk right away, consider warming the bags — with warm water or your hands — before transferring it into a bottle.
4) Compress the milk bag so that milk assumes a back-and-forth movement. You can also turn the bag upside down, and right side up over it a few times. This way, the milk would have mixed back together, and will easily flow out when you open the bag. (Don’t worry, Willow has a spill-proof valve, so no drop will be lost).
5) Fold the bag like a taco and squeeze it as much as you can. This can help move all the milk stuck to the sides back to the bag.
Bonus Tip On Storing Willow Bags; Willow bags come in a one-way valve design that safeguards milk from leaking. What this means is, that you can keep them in a standing or flat position, in a breast milk cooler bag when you are out and about, or in the fridge/freezer.
Bottom Line
Willow bags are one of the biggest things on the modern baby market. They have taken the stress out of pumping sessions and made nursing easier for many parents. Interestingly, there are Willow pump bags hacks to give you an even better experience. We have provided a number of them in this article, and hope they are of help to you.
