Thank you everyone for your replies both on board and offline.  I went back through my notes as the ideas were flowing in and realized that I was slightly wrong--one mom delivered vaginally but was Strep B positive. So, it seems the linkage is antibiotic use in the hospital and early nipple damage.  They delivered at different hospitals so there isn't a hospital based issue.

The answers I have received are as follows:

Milk cultures:  If a woman has a 2 or 3rd round of mastitis get the milk cultured in order to properly target antibiotic use.
Prophylactic lecithin: possibly useful
Probiotics: the more the better (100 billion organisms a day was suggested)

These three suggestions have helped me develop a protocol for this in the future.  Thank you.

Lea Rivera Todaro
Brooklyn, New York

             ***********************************************

Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html
To reach list owners: [log in to unmask]
Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask]
COMMANDS:
1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail
2. To start it again: set lactnet mail
3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet
4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome