Actually in hospital intervention is not too late.  I also work in a
hospital with a large diverse Latina population.  No suficiente leche is the
bane of my existence.  However, there are somethings to ask yourself.

First, the WIC program that most of your mothers belong too.  How Baby
Friendly is it?  Have the CLEARLY and REPEATEDLY told the mothers in the
prenatal visit that the mother WILL NOT get "free milk" for the first month.
 (This is what ours does, I am making an assumption that it is true for all
WICs based on the newer rules).

Second, when you say Hispanic population.  What do you mean?  The norms are
very different based on country of origin and length of stay in the U.S.

Third, in my hospital it is CRITICAL to get to these women on the day of
delivery and talk to them right then and there.  Get the baby to breast
ASAP--if this did not occur in the delivery room.  And while the baby is at
breast talk.  Tell them that breastfed babies eat frequently.  I gently
tease them about how "los varones" are just like their fathers and like to
eat.  If the baby is a girl I change the line and say that "women are
stronger then men and a baby girl knows that she has to eat frequently so
she can be just as strong as mami."  

Fourth, talk with the women and gather information. What do they believe?
Why don't they feel they have milk? Have the nurses been saying "feed every
two hours?"  The more questions you ask and the more information you gather
the better you can work with the women in your care.

Lea

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