Having a baby anytime requires a go-to support system that a new mom can rely on. But with COVID-19, your support system is even more challenging. The parenting and birthing classes are virtual, meeting new moms is hard (especially online), and not being able to have family round the clock can leave you feeling isolated and overwhelmed. That’s why this week, we’ll be sitting down with Bright & Baby Co-Founder and NICU Nurse Megan Furlong, who will be talking about ways new and pregnant moms can find support during the pandemic. Megan will walk us through what you can do to build your support system in these current times while also adjusting to motherhood for the first time. So head over to our YouTube and Facebook pages on Tuesday at 8 PM. Send a quick hello in the comments, tell us how you’re doing, or ask us a question— we’d love to hear from you. In the meantime, answer our weekly poll, and you could be featured on NJMOM and News12 New Jersey this week.
About Our Guest, Megan Furlong from Bright & Baby
Megan is a mom and NICU nurse living in Jersey City with her partner and toddler. As a certified cardiac neonatal intensive care nurse, Megan cares for the tiniest of heart warriors: newborns with congenital heart defects who frequently require life-saving heart surgery in the first weeks of life. Utilizing over 10 years of combined experience caring for thousands of babies, Megan and fellow registered nurse Brittany Shippee launched Bright & Baby, which provides virtual resources, classes, and support for expectant and new moms and their partners. The duo also created a NICU Baby Book Club in early 2020, which donates mini-libraries to promote developmental care for babies healing, learning, and growing in the neonatal intensive care unit. She also teaches moms-to-be the basics of newborn care for buybuyBABY and has been featured on Scary Mommy, HobokenGirl, NurseJournal, and NJMOM. Megan spends her free time with her family enjoying the view of NYC from Liberty State Park, grabbing a cold brew from the neighborhood coffee spot, and eating Margherita pizza from Arturo’s in Maplewood.
How to watch
So grab a cup of tea or a glass of wine and then meet us over on our YouTube page and Facebook page (click the videos tab on the left-hand side) at 8PM this Tuesday, February 2nd. And be sure to answer our quick poll (it’s quick, we promise— and you might be featured on NJMOM and News12 New Jersey this week). To learn more about the work Megan and her co-founder Brittany are doing for maternal mental health, check out the Bright & Baby website, and their Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages.
