New Survey Emphasizes What Makes New Mothers Feel Strong And Why It's Time To Redefine How Motherhood Is Celebrated

• More than 95% of women felt strong when breastfeeding their children, pumping, managing their children's feelings, and entertaining their children and seeing them smile.
• The majority of women - 70% - feel that breastfeeding or pumping makes them feel proud.
• The average mother completes 4 activities that she considers "extraordinary" before 8 a.m.
• Only 8 percent describe their feeding journey as "routine" or "expected," despite doing it every day

"Motherhood is filled with real moments of strength, but we've built a culture where we've normalized their triumphs to the point that they are dismissed as routine," said Sarah O'Leary, CEO of Willow and mom of two. "What we heard from women is that they are expected to do the extraordinary quietly and often unseen. That simply doesn't work for us. Women deserve better, and we're on a mission to change how motherhood is supported and celebrated, every day."

In addition to the data, the survey also invited moms to share their own extraordinary experiences of strength during their postpartum journey.

One mother said, "The moment my baby first looked at me and truly recognized me. It sounds simple, but it felt like everything paused, like 'wow, I'm your safe place.' That connection is something I'll never be able to fully put into words."

Another respondent shared, "Making it to one year of exclusively breastfeeding my first child made me feel stronger and more extraordinary than I would have thought," while another wrote: "Pumping enough for my twins up to 9 months (still going) feels amazing. Despite the challenges, my body is doing extraordinary things for them."

These stories and the responses echoed the pride, emotions, and physical and mental labor that have often gone unseen, let alone celebrated. This Mother's Day, Willow is shifting the conversation from sacrifice to strength and inviting mothers everywhere to share the motherhood experiences that made them feel strong and extraordinary on social media using #MomsAreUnbelievable.

By celebrating what some would call an expected routine for mothers, Willow's Mother's Day social campaign aims to disrupt how motherhood is understood and defined.

Willow, a company for women by women, continually disrupts the norms that no longer serve women as it aims to elevate the postpartum experience. Named one of Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies in 2026 and the "Best Wearable Pump" by Babylist, The Bump, and the National Parenting Product Awards, Willow is on a mission to build a maternal care platform that delivers the care, consideration, and clinically-backed innovation women deserve.

About Willow
Founded in 2014, Willow Innovations, Inc. is the leading FemTech pioneer, building a maternal care platform to address interconnected challenges during postpartum. Willow combines its med-tech heritage with a deep understanding of women's health to offer women-centered, clinically-backed solutions in feeding and postpartum wellness.

Built for moms by moms, its connected ecosystem of pumps, products, and support includes award-winning Willow and Elvie wearable pumps, care and feeding essentials, and a connected app with maternal care and wellness services and support at mom's fingertips.

Visit onewillow.com to learn more, and join the supportive Willow community on Instagram and Facebook.

¹ Willow User Online Survey conducted April 3 - April 14, 2026, N=135

SOURCE Willow Innovations, Inc.