Emily Mitchell, an Instagram influencer and parenting blogger, died at age 36 while pregnant with her fifth child.
“Em was having her morning coffee and toast when she suddenly became unresponsive,” the fundraising page stated. “Despite the prompt attention of her children, husband, father and other medical personnel, all valiant efforts to resuscitate were unsuccessful. She went home to be with the Lord. The doctors are still working on answers for her family.”
Emily was 16 weeks pregnant when she died. According to her online obituary, Emily was expecting a baby boy named Joey.
While most of her Instagram centered around her homeschooling efforts with her children and other parenting topics, in recent weeks, she shared pregnancy-related posts, including baby bump pics.
In early December, she wrote to her Instagram followers that she was preparing to deliver her son via caesarean section, just like she did with her four eldest children.
“This will be my FIFTH C-Section.” she wrote. “However your baby gets here, just know YOUR EXPERIENCE is valid and worthy. YOU are no less a mother if you needed emergency medical intervention, had a planned c-section, or an epidural. You aren’t a ‘better’ mother if you had a home birth or an unmedicated vaginal birth. And if you grew your brood through adoption or surrogacy or family blending? Those are YOUR babies and YOU SIT PROUDLY at the table of motherhood.”
She added, “My plan was never to have five c-sections. But you can be sure I’m darn thankful for them. Even if I did grieve with my first at missing out on what the ‘real motherhood experience’ was supposed to be. How I feel now? It doesn’t matter how they get here. It only matters THAT THEY GET HERE. And are so deeply LOVED.”
The Rhode Island native and creator of The Hidden Way blog passed away unexpectedly three days before Christmas, according to a fundraising page set up for her family. Emily, whose maiden name is Giancaspro, is survived by her husband Joseph Mitchell and their four children Finn, Isla, Eden and Luna.
