My name is Megan Jalbert (Maiani), a boy mom of two (two-and-a-half year old and three month old), wife, and Board Certified Pediatric Registered Nurse (RN). In 2017-2021 I was elected as a city council member and am very passionate about advocating for my community and women and children’s health. The one thing that has helped shape me into the woman and mother I am today is the travel that I did in my twenties. The exposure to different cultures and the beauty of the world helps me to be so open to others.
Family is Everything
My husband and I were married in 2021 and we welcomed our first child, Vincent, in August 2022. We thought we were going to be one and done. However, we were blessed with a second son, Jack, in December 2024. I am a full time working mom and stay-at-home mom (Jack stays home with me while I work from home). I still find time to be creative and take the boys on many adventures. As a nurse you often become like family with your co-workers. I can honestly say that the three women who help me the most as a mother are women I met while working as a nurse.
Just a Small Town Girl
The town that I was born and raised in and currently reside is a small town south of Detroit. Wyandotte is on the Detroit River and is very much community-focused. My husband had a house in Royal Oak which I moved into for a little over a year. But, I never felt a sense of community there. Being an older mother without much of a village, it is very important to me to be a part of a community that welcomes and is inviting to families.
Wyandotte has an amazing restaurant called The Iron Gate that has themed pop-ups throughout the year and the best Bang Bang Shrimp appetizer. In the summer there is a large festival called the Wyandotte Street Fair–the second largest art fair in Michigan!
My Calling
Our first son had a lot of digestive issues and ended up having silent reflux that turned into GERD. Doctors did not take it seriously and I had to keep bothering them about a treatment plan. They constantly said that he would never remember it and would eventually outgrow it. It was then that I knew I would go to bat for my children whenever they needed my voice to be heard to help them. We are now going through the same exact thing with Jack.
The women in my life never talked of the negatives of motherhood or the challenges that we as mothers face. It shocked me to learn of the many struggles beginning in pregnancy all the way through toddlerhood. Having a community of mothers to rely on for advice and to know that you are not alone, and that they have or are going to be experiencing the same thing, is so vital to motherhood. Many of my friends had children in their 20s, so they are in a completely different phase than I am. Community has allowed me to connect with women who are going through the same stages as I am and share resources, advice, and struggles with one another.
Why Detroit Mom?
Many times when sharing how I am feeling as a mom on social media, I receive a message from one of my friends or family members saying how they relate to what I have said. By sharing with Detroit Mom I hope to be able to have the same effect. To be able to offer realistic life experiences instead of the “Instagram perfect” life to women is inspiring. It is what got me through my first two and a half years as a new mom. Honesty about our life experiences can foster a community where people are vulnerable and do not feel like they have to keep things to themselves, which further suppresses negative feelings that can lead to both physical and emotional health issues.
