We have a large Mexican immigrant population here in central NJ and after
reading the opening of this post I feel like I could have practically written
it.  The women here do both, and the staff usually just goes along with what
they say.  In my very limited spanish, I have understood that they feel they
have no milk ("NO LECHE")  I try to explaiin that there is colostrum and show
them how to express it.  I have read (I don't remember where) that in some
cultures people believe that colostrum is no good.  I would be interested in
anything else you find out about this population as about 1/3 of our patients
seem to be non english speaking Hispanics, mostly from Mexico.

Caren Goldstein RNC IBCLC