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giant child

'I was cussing up a storm': Florida woman gives birth to 14 pound baby

The mother also didn’t know she was pregnant until eight months into the pregnancy.

Big Baby Florida AP Photo / St. Joseph's Womens Hospital AP Photo / St. Joseph's Womens Hospital / St. Joseph's Womens Hospital

MAXXZANDRA FORD SAID she realised during delivery that she was giving birth to an unusually large baby, but had no idea her son was 14.1 pounds.

It was a double surprise for the Florida mom who didn’t even realise she was pregnant until her third trimester.

Ford said her “feet never swelled, never was really that tired, my back didn’t hurt so obviously I didn’t think anything of it,” Ford told TV station WFLA.

But Ford said she was rapidly gaining weight last fall. That’s when doctors confirmed she was more than eight months along. Ford, who also has a 1-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter, initially thought she was having twins.

Big Baby Florida_Acos (2) AP Photo / St. Joseph's Womens Hospital AP Photo / St. Joseph's Womens Hospital / St. Joseph's Womens Hospital

After 18 hours of labour, Ford naturally delivered Avery at St. Joseph’s Women’s Hospital in Tampa on 29 January. Hospital officials say Avery is the heaviest born at the hospital, and one of the largest-ever born in the state.

“I was cussing up a storm,” during delivery, Ford told WFTS.

I was like, ‘Oh my goodness,’ and they were like ‘Stop pushing. Stop pushing’.

“When I felt his head come out I knew he was bigger than 10 pounds,” said Ford, whose other children weighed nine and 10 pounds at birth.

His father said he’s a linebacker in the making.

“When I finally did get to hold him, I loved it,” Ford said. “I just melted.”

Big Baby Florida AP Photo / St. Joseph's Womens Hospital AP Photo / St. Joseph's Womens Hospital / St. Joseph's Womens Hospital

Avery, who has a full head of hair, remains in neonatal intensive care but is expected to go home soon.

“They can have some difficulties getting out of the birth canal and there can be some residual effects from that,” said Dr. Jenelle Ferry, a neonatologist who is taking care of him.

“They can initially have some problems with breathing, regulating their blood sugars and then problems with eating.”

Read: Research finds women do actually want to gobble up babies >

Author
Associated Foreign Press
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