"Why is hand expression considered "labor intensive learning"?  What do you
mean by this?  It's easy, it's cheap, it's always available, right there at
the end of your hand.  Can't most women learn how to hand express in about 5
minutes??"

I don't know why women think hand expression is labor intensive. Maybe it's
perceived as hard work. Maybe it takes too long. Plenty of Moms think
BREASTFEEDING is too labor intensive - even tho' that too is cheap,
available, etc. etc....
I guess my serious question would be whether most women could really learn
effective hand expression (effective enough to feed a newborn and establish
a milk supply - I was talking about babies who wouldn't latch) in 5 mins.
And once they'd learned, would they do it? If they would then why are we
(including myself) renting out pumps to all of them? Commericialism?
Obssession with hi tech? Or, more optimistically, simple speed?

See I'm English and the US SO high tech (JUST JOKING) - on which note......
I find it interesting that Europe is often perceived to be pro
breastfeeding compared to the US. This is not my experience. I think
Arianna Huffington is a total romantic claiming that noone would bat an
eyelid at seeing a nursing toddler in Greece. We visit Greece (Greek
husband) at least once a year and it seems to me like USA in the 50s (not
that I was around in the 50s, but you hear stories, you know...). Even when
nursing a newborn I've had many raised eyebrows (FAR more than here or in
England) and then they say "Are you BREASTFEEDING?" like that went out with
the ark. We are off there again next week so I'll tell you about nursing a
toddler (the mother in law  - a pediatrician! - is already asking how long
I intend to keep THAT going).....
Anne Merewood