Pregnancy PowerHours: NICU and You - Navigating Life in the NICU

NICU and You: Navigating Life in the NICU

Whether your NICU journey is ahead of you or already part of your story, this evening is designed to bring comfort, understanding, and community to a season that can feel anything but predictable.

Join us as two remarkable speakers share both sides of the NICU experience: Emma, a first-time mom whose hospital stay for preeclampsia gave the NICU team time to prepare her for her daughter's birth, and Lauren, a licensed perinatal therapist who's spent over a decade supporting NICU families through the emotional aftermath.

Alongside these talks, you’ll meet local community sponsors and organizations dedicated to supporting expectant and NICU families. Whether it's health resources, an understanding listener, post-NICU guidance, or simple reassurance that you’re not alone, this event connects you with people who genuinely care.

You’ll walk away with practical tools and emotional insight to help you embrace the NICU experience with greater confidence and compassion for yourself, your baby, and your family.

You'll learn:

• How preparation and communication can reduce fearHear how Emma's early conversations with her care team turned unknowns into an informed birth experience, and what you may need to know to feel prepared if you may need NICU support.
• How to navigate the mental and emotional roller coaster of NICU lifeLearn to recognize common emotional responses, understand trauma triggers, and use practical coping tools from a certified perinatal therapist.
• How to protect your mental health and relationships during and after the NICUDiscover proven strategies to strengthen connection, restore balance, and support both parents as you transition home.

Whether you’re expecting, currently in the NICU, or supporting someone who is, this conversation will help you feel seen, cared for, and more prepared for the road ahead.

Location: The Glenview Park District on Chestnut in the Lakeview Room. The Lakeview room is in the eastmost building in the complex.