Sixteen years ago I purchased an L____-B pump for my sister, It was
considered a "premium" pump at the time.  She used it successfully at work
for many months.  It required long fingers and a strong hand, however.

When I, myself, pumped for my children in the '60s and early  '70s I
alternated hand expression, bicycle horn pump and hot compresses. Most of
the mothers I knew who pumped infrequently did this.

In the early '70s I assisted in coordinating two milk donations.  Most of
our donors used either hand expression or the K_____n cylinder pump.  I have
seen some bruising with this and similar pumps when mothers would draw it
out and hold it on the suction portion of the cycle.  They need to be used
rhythmically - no hesitations.

I once attended a LLL Chapter mtg., probably early to mid-70s where Leaders
invited mothers from their groups to come and tell us how they were handling
their working/breastfeeding situation.  The mothers were from different
League groups in the district so didn't know one another. Most told the same
story. They had begun by using some hand pump. Later on they perfected their
skills at hand expressing and found this method far superior and faster.
In another location in the early '80s another working  mother showed me how
she had been able to hand express both breasts at once. She had done this
efficiently at work for several babies.
When I think back to all the mother's I've been privileged to meet who have
put so much time, effort and love into expressing milk for their little ones
and would have had it no other way I feel sad for the mothers today who
think it's too much trouble to express with their double electric pumps. Or
those who think breastfeeding is going to be so difficult that they'd better
have a good pump on hand before the baby is even born.

Anne Grider, LLL, IBCLC