Ep 13: Losing Ecko: Emily Bravely Shares Her Experience with Infant Loss (Part 1)

Disclaimers:

Please note that today's episode is an in-depth discussion about infant loss. If that is triggering for you, please listen with care or skip this episode if needed. While there may be conversations about medications or medical treatments, I am not a doctor, and I am not offering any medical advice. Please consult an actual doctor for your own medical care.

The death of an infant is a devastation that no one should have to experience but many do. 

Today’s episode is part one of a two part conversation I had with my brave friend Emily who lost her son Ecko just days after he was born. Her strength and vulnerability are unparalleled and I am so grateful that she was able and willing to share her raw emotions with me and the Piece of My Heart community. The way she navigated and continues to navigate the loss of Ecko has been a true inspiration as I find my own way through the experience of infertility and loss. 

As Emily says on her website listinerliving.com, “When you lean into your life, rather than resist the experiences you are being offered, you’ll find the richness your life holds - both for you & the collective.” These words reverberate in my heart as I listen back to our conversation and watch in awe as she continues on. 

What’s in this episode:

• The home birth of Emily’s son, Ecko, in which he was born not breathing properly [05:26]
• Her experience in the hospital being separated from him as they worked to keep him alive [09:09]
• Emily and her husband’s (Bennett) different post-birth experiences and the airlifting of Ecko and Emily to a new hospital [17:04]
• How Ecko’s birth was different from her first son, Milo [19:33]
• What they learned about the potential reasons why Ecko was born in distress [22:21]
• The precious moments Emily and Bennett spent connecting with Ecko while in the NICU [27:17]
• Ecko’s surgery and how the surgeons learned he was born with a malrotated intestine [28:53]
• The difficult choices they were faced, the decision to help him pass away, and managing their emotions alongside family members [33:01]
• How they shared what was happening with their oldest son, Milo, and the memories he got to make with Ecko [39:23] [46:40]
• The intense emotions that came with finally being able to hold him after he passed [42:18]
• How they processed leaving behind his physical body while knowing that his spirit lives on with them [51:15]

 

Again, this may be a very triggering episode for some people. Please listen with care, and stop listening if at any point it is too much for you.

For full show notes, resources, links and to download the transcript, visit our website: https://www.apieceofmyheartpodcast.com/episodes/013

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