A couple were left slack-jawed after the birth of their baby boy who was, to put it simply, massive.
Proud parents Terrica and Shawn welcomed their son, Shawn Jr, on January 30, weighing a staggering 13 pounds. Staff at Cayuga Medical Center Birthplace in northwest Ithaca in New York State confirmed that he is the biggest baby ever born in the facility.
The mum-of-four already had a feeling that her latest child was going to be big – but not this big. She said: “We knew he’d be bigger, but we didn’t expect this. He’s already wearing three to six month-nappies and clothes. It feels like I skipped straight to having a three-month-old.”
(Image: Google Maps)
The hospital shared a photo on Facebook showing the giant baby alongside four-pound Margot, born the same day to parents Chloe and Victor.
Chloe said that Shawn’s landmark birth made welcoming her tiny infant “even sweeter”, reports the New York Post.
She added: “It was really charming and such a good reminder that babies come in all shapes and sizes.”
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While Robyn Torgalski, System Director of Maternal Child Health at Centralus Health, said: “These two births are a wonderful reminder that every baby and every birth story is unique.
“Whether a newborn weighs four pounds or thirteen, our teams are prepared to provide the highest level of care to both baby and family.
“We’re proud of the exceptional maternity care delivered at Cayuga Health, one of our valued affiliates, and honoured to support families through moments like these.”
According to the Guinness World Records, the heaviest baby ever recorded was when Anna Bates – who was almost 8ft tall – gave birth to a boy weighing 22lb in Seville, Ohio on 19 January 1879. To put it into perspective, the average weight of a newborn these days is around 7.5lbs.
More recently, another baby weighing the same as Shawn Jr was born at Nashville’s TriStar Centennial Women’s Hospital last October. Mum Shelby shared photos of her son, called Cassian Martin.
In a video posted to TikTok, she wrote: “When people talk about having a big baby, like I don’t know ball. But trust me… I know ball.”
One social media joked: “How many years was he in there for?” as another quipped: “Did you have to push or did he walk out?”
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