Blue Cocoon

A place for all things pregnancy and parenting, come meet other families in the community! We do amazing birthday parties & baby showers too!

Shop our retail store, take a class, play in the play+cafe and have a cup of coffee! Blue Cocoon is creating a new retail concept and play café for moms, dads, and families! Founded by Ashley Brown-Combs RNC-NIC II, IBCLC, CLC, a full-time working mom, wife, NICU nurse and lactation consultant. Blue Cocoon is a business created by my personal cause to provide community-based, long-term support for

Indian Hill mom was told she had anxiety. 16 years later, Christ Hospital diagnosed her with heart disease. 03/02/2023

Indian Hill mom was told she had anxiety. 16 years later, Christ Hospital diagnosed her with heart disease. Carrie Lange had preeclampsia and suffered with ongoing symptoms for years. Doctors told her she had anxiety attributed to motherhood. Then she went to Christ Hospital and received life-changing diagnoses.

01/23/2023

Lol!

Might be the best Mother's Day card I've ever seen.😅👏🏾

10/16/2022

“When pregnant, the cells of the baby migrate into the mothers bloodstream and then circle back into the baby, it’s called “fetal-maternal microchimerism”.⁠

For 41 weeks, the cells circulate and merge backwards and forwards, and after the baby is born, many of these cells stay in the mother’s body, leaving a permanent imprint in the mothers tissues, bones, brain, and skin, and often stay there for decades. Every single child a mother has afterwards will leave a similar imprint on her body, too.

Even if a pregnancy doesn't go to full term or if you have an abortion, these cells still migrate into your bloodstream.

Research has shown that if a mother's heart is injured, fetal cells will rush to the site of the injury and change into different types of cells that specialize in mending the heart.

The baby helps repair the mother, while the mother builds the baby.

How cool is that?

This is often why certain illnesses vanish while pregnant.

It’s incredible how mothers bodies protect the baby at all costs, and the baby protects & rebuilds the mother back - so that the baby can develop safely and survive.

Think about crazy cravings for a moment. What was the mother deficient in that the baby made them crave?

Studies have also shown cells from a fetus in a mothers brain 18 years after she gave birth. How amazing is that?”

If you’re a mom you know how you can intuitively feel your child even when they are not there….Well, now there is scientific proof that moms carry them for years and years even after they have given birth to them.

I find this to be so very beautiful.

08/30/2022

La Leche League USA is proud to celebrate Black Breastfeeding Week and generations of love and support it includes.

AAP now recommends breastfeeding beyond age 2 due to benefits for both mother and baby 06/30/2022

It's about time...did you BF your littles over age one?

It may not be for everyone but, breastfeeding still holds amazing benefits for all ages. Did you know even adults are given it to fight cancer?

AAP now recommends breastfeeding beyond age 2 due to benefits for both mother and baby The organization also recognizes that more social and workplace support is needed to make longer breastfeeding happen.

Formula production at Abbott plant delayed after flooding from storms. Here's what to know 06/16/2022

Formula production at Abbott plant delayed after flooding from storms. Here's what to know Production at the plant had restarted less than two weeks ago following a months-long closure that helped drive a nationwide formula shortage.

06/16/2022

More on anterior tongue ties and the tie that is left after many doctors snip it with scissors. 

Repeat procedures

I would estimate that approximately 30% of the babies I see in clinic are babies who have already had a procedure done. Some observations:

1) Almost all of the babies who need a re-do are those who previously had classic anterior tongue ties (the ones that go to the tip of the tongue and that anyone can easily spot). In medical training, we are taught to just snip that band. This post helps to explain why there's always a residual posterior tongue tie behind what is snipped anteriorly: https://www.drghaheri.com/blog/2014/3/22/rethinking-tongue-tie-anatomy-anterior-vs-posterior-is-irrelevant
2) Some babies/moms can benefit from a simple anterior release (there are 5 randomized, controlled trials that show improvement). The problem with these studies is that they don't follow the dyads for very long, so it's hard to know what happens to them afterwards. I find that quite often that those who get an anterior release but still have problems with breastfeeding can have symptoms evolve over time. Increasing caloric needs as the baby gets larger, changing milk supply, and different compensations all affect whether or not new symptoms show up. If they do show up, knowing that the babies are still technically tied may offer the dyads an option to pursue further treatment.
3) We've published a paper looking at this exact scenario: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29787680/

As always, information is key. Your baby's doctor(s) may not be aware about what a posterior tongue tie is or how it can continue to impact feeding. Some insurance companies are also confused - they argue that once a tongue tie release has been done, there can't be a tongue tie (so they try to fight coverage for the revision procedure).

One last thought - doing a procedure for the first time should NOT be called a revision. I'm not sure who started that nonsense, but in medical/surgical terms, a revision procedure is to revise something that was already done/attempted, so the term "revision" should be applied only in situations where a tongue tie was already released.

Baby formula shortage fueling spike in milk bank interest 05/18/2022

Are you being impacted by the shortage? Have you used diner milk? Did your know we have a local breast milk share page?

Baby formula shortage fueling spike in milk bank interest NEW YORK (AP) — The U. S. baby formula shortage has sparked a surge of interest at milk banks around the U. S. with some mothers offering to donate breast milk and desperate parents calling to see if it's a solution to keep their babies fed. It's a pathway that won't work for every formula-fed...

Woman delivers her own baby on the side of the road while her kids wait in the car 05/18/2022

Way to go to this local mama!!!

I was so close to this story being me 9 years ago! It was a mad rush to get to the hospital or I would have had all my kids by myself with a baby in the side of the road. I didn’t even feel like I was in labor…then bam!!! I was complete and crowing in the doorway! My last one River, wasn’t like this. Each labor and delivery felt different and happens at their own paces! 

How fast were your deliveries?

Woman delivers her own baby on the side of the road while her kids wait in the car Kentucky mom Heather Skaats thought this kind of thing only happened in the movies.

05/12/2022

Sometimes you just have to laugh!

Safe Sleep for Babies Act Will Ban Inclined Sleepers, Crib Bumpers 05/05/2022

Keep those babies safe!

https://www.consumerreports.org/child-safety/safe-sleep-for-babies-act-inclined-sleeper-crib-bumper-ban-a3847072461/?fbclid=IwAR1w9X81g9dIGOWtCi-Jw8MgHqHX4aQxuyXrr-VKHC5ExbIqudUI6i_72W8

Safe Sleep for Babies Act Will Ban Inclined Sleepers, Crib Bumpers The Senate passed the Safe Sleep for Babies Act, which will ban the sale of inclined infant sleepers and crib bumper pads. Consumer Reports has linked the sleepers to dozens of deaths.

Ohio Homeschooling Convention 04/20/2022

Ohio Homeschooling Convention Ohio Homeschool Convention options and tickets for homeschooling families. The Ohio Homeschooling Convention dates and locations are available here.

02/21/2022

Can anyone else relate!? Haha…my toddler too!!

When you’re trying to change your baby’s diaper.

What diapers do you love and use with your little ones?

Photos from LactationHub's post 02/19/2022
Photos from Women Hold Up Half The Sky's post 02/16/2022

Wow!! Go mama!!

01/28/2022

Umm, I think she’s pregnant with an alien!

01/03/2022

A glimpse into 1968 breastfeeding! What is one thing we don’t do today….?

Police warn children shouldn't wear coats under car seat straps 11/24/2021

Police warn children shouldn't wear coats under car seat straps CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (CBS2/FOX28) — A car seat that's properly installed can save your child's life, but there is one step you may not be aware of when buckling up your little one. It's the hidden danger every time you buckle in your children this winter -- a coat. While it may be keeping them w...

Caught on camera: Mother goes into labor, gives birth on front lawn 11/11/2021

What a way to give birth! Next time…it could be me! However, 6 babies later this mama has her last baby snuggling with her now.

Do you have a crazy birth or pregnancy story?

Caught on camera: Mother goes into labor, gives birth on front lawn VACAVILLE, Calif. (KCRA/CNN Newsource/WKRC) -A front yard birth was recorded by a doorbell camera in California when the baby wouldn't wait to be delivered at the hospital. Thomas is the newest addition to the Johnson family. His mom and dad, Emily and Michael Johnson, said they just couldn’t....

10/27/2021

🥰

“When pregnant, the cells of the baby migrate into the mothers bloodstream and then circle back into the baby, it’s called “fetal-maternal microchimerism”.⁠

For 41 weeks, the cells circulate and merge backwards and forwards, and after the baby is born, many of these cells stay in the mother’s body, leaving a permanent imprint in the mothers tissues, bones, brain, and skin, and often stay there for decades. Every single child a mother has afterwards will leave a similar imprint on her body, too.

Even if a pregnancy doesn't go to full term or if you have an abortion, these cells still migrate into your bloodstream.

Research has shown that if a mother's heart is injured, fetal cells will rush to the site of the injury and change into different types of cells that specialize in mending the heart.

The baby helps repair the mother, while the mother builds the baby.

How cool is that?

This is often why certain illnesses vanish while pregnant.

It’s incredible how mothers bodies protect the baby at all costs, and the baby protects & rebuilds the mother back - so that the baby can develop safely and survive.

Think about crazy cravings for a moment. What was the mother deficient in that the baby made them crave?

Studies have also shown cells from a fetus in a mothers brain 18 years after she gave birth. How amazing is that?”

If you’re a mom you know how you can intuitively feel your child even when they are not there….Well, now there is scientific proof that moms carry them for years and years even after they have given birth to them.

I find this to be so very beautiful.

10/19/2021
Boppy Is Recalling 3.3 Million Loungers After 8 Babies Died 09/25/2021

Recall

Boppy Is Recalling 3.3 Million Loungers After 8 Babies Died The infants died of suffocation after rolling onto their side or stomach while in the lounger.

Photos from Ceres Chill's post 09/03/2021

I’ve always done this!!! Mix away ladies!

04/01/2020

Breastfeeding and breast milk will provide amazing Immunity and support for out littles. Stay safe mamas.

03/23/2020

McCormick Spice

Looking for fun ways to keep your little ones busy? Click to explore at-home crafts like this homemade Scented Kinetic Sand Slime and more!

03/19/2020

Pregnant women now in high-risk category for COVID-19, officials say

Stay safe mamas!

wlwt.com The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says pregnant women are more susceptible to viral respiratory infections like COVID-19, but there isn't enough research yet to determine exactly how the virus could affect them.

03/18/2020

Why Everything Is Closing For Coronavirus: It’s Called ‘Flattening The Curve’

Let’s do our part!

forbes.com Why are there so many closings and cancellations with fewer than 2,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases? Because public health officials know what's coming.

03/13/2020

We’ve trained for this!!!

03/12/2020

Keep feeding those babies!

Posting again on Coronavirus-In order to say that the Center for Disease Control had got it wrong!!! Do not separate mother and baby as the CDC apparently stated. But it seems that they changed their recommendation and now encourage breastfeeding. The point is that breastfeeding helps protect.

The photos below show how, when a mother is exposed to an infection, her body reacts to produce immune factors in her milk in order to protect the baby from getting sick. The whole article, written by me, is in Scientific American from 1995 https://www.dropbox.com/s/4v85fdtjv5u7o3j/Scientific American 1995%2C how bf protects.pdf?dl=0

There is a lot of concern about what to do about breastfeeding when either the baby or the mother has been exposed to coronavirus. The answer is to continue breastfeeding and keep the mother and baby together. Indeed, one can sense a panic about this virus which is new, and therefore few if any people in the world has been exposed to it. And many breastfeeding mothers have been told that they should not breastfeed if they have been exposed or actually have the infection.

Other than being “new”, there is nothing particularly special about this virus and the same principles apply as with other viruses. And mothers or babies who have been exposed to it should continue breastfeeding. Mothers and babies spend time TOGETHER. They are exposed to viruses and other pathogens TOGETHER. When either the mother or the baby is exposed to a virus, there is an incubation period before the onset of symptoms. In other words, the mother or baby are already infectious without knowing they are sick or feeling sick. And breastmilk with its dozens if not hundreds of immune factors (not just antibodies) are present to protect the baby.

It seems that the first reaction to any new virus is to separate mothers and babies and to tell them they can´t breastfeeding. The same happened a couple of years back with SARS, H1N1 and other viruses. But the safe course is to keep breastfeeding. The reaction “we don´t know, so the mother should not breastfeed, just to be safe” is not good practice.

So, THERE IS NO REASON TO SEPARATE THE MOTHER AND BABY. And no reason to stop breastfeeding. Indeed, there are lots of reasons for breastfeeding to continue.

Want to learn more about how breastfeeding protects babies against infection? See our eBook "Breastfeeding: Empowering Parents". The eBook contains videos, links to scholarly articles and more: https://ibconline.ca/ebook/.

02/21/2020

How old was your little one when they first had food? Pediatricians recommend that babies don’t receive any food until at least 6 months.

Food is for fun before age 1! Always breast-feed first.

Ever wonder why your (likely older) relatives seem obsessed with giving your baby 👶🏽 solid foods? 🚨 Turns out it’s entirely possible they were “eating” solids before they could smile 🚨 In the past century WHAT you feed a baby and WHEN has been quite a roller coaster! Did you know:⁣

🍊 In the 1920s fruit juices were given to babies at one month and up to increase vitamin C and prevent scurvy⁣
🥣 In 1953 Dr Walter Sackette recommended that newborns be given cereal beginning in the hospital right after birth, veggies on day 10, and meats starting in week 4⁣
🍲 The first commercial baby food was “baby soup”- beef broth with veggies and cereal - in 1921⁣
🥕 Ge**er started selling canned baby food in 1928 and by 1945 they were making $100 million a year on baby food alone⁣
🥄 In 1990 over 70% of families had started solids before 3 months (and only 6% had waited until after 4 months)⁣

If you’re feeding your own little squishy I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Dr Amy Brown’s book “Why Starting Solids Matters” https://amzn.to/2YBD3Ha (affiliate link) as it’s an easy and fascinating read... and will arm you with a quick retort the next time Aunt Karen says you’re mean for depriving your newborn of a lick of ice cream🍦 😂

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Centerville, OH
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