A Silicon Valley company introduced a “smart” hands-free breast pump Thursday at the 50th anniversary of the Consumer Electronics Show.
“Willow is the only wearable breast pump that fits in your bra, moves with you, and goes wherever the day takes you,” according to the company’s website.
“Willow tucks inside your bra and works quietly while you go about your day. So you can finally pump without the need for a private place,” the product’s description reads.
The breast pump is a “smart” electronic device, meaning that it collects data and can be synced with a supplementary app that can be downloaded on a smartphone.
“Willow is so smart, it senses your let-down and automatically transitions to expression phase based on your body’s own unique milk production and timing,” the device’s details continue.
Each pump (one for each breast) is equipped with a collection bag that has a capacity of up to four ounces of milk. The pump is supposed to fit comfortably and securely into a woman’s bra.
The maternity gadget looks far different than the usual pumps, loaded with tubes and bulky machines. (RELATED: Cancer Awareness Group Draws Square Breasts For Video After Facebook Censors It)
Willow founder and CTO John Chang told TheNextWeb that they are working on having the breast pump covered by certain insurance providers.
He also stressed that when a woman is using this device (perhaps in a public setting), no one will be able to tell they are breastfeeding.
“People will just think you’re a D instead of a B cup,” Chang said, according to TheNextWeb.
More than 8 out of 10 mothers in the U.S. begin breastfeeding their babies at birth, according to a 2016 analysis conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The product carries a tentative price-tag of $429 when it becomes available later this year.
Wearable technologies like Willow are being rapidly introduced into the mainstream market. (RELATED: Personal Data Collection Hits The Sports World)
“Sophisticated wearable health devices will soon remind users to take medications or contact medical professionals as necessary and eventually help users track and even diagnose various conditions before advising a course of action,” Adam Thierer, a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center, writes in his book “Permissionless Innovation.”
While the Willow does not have some of the advanced capabilities that Thierer references, it appears to be a sign of things to come.
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