Shelby Martin sensed something was different with her third pregnancy. She was feeling pains she’d never experienced before.
Little did she know that she was carrying a record-breaking baby.
“I didn’t think I was going to survive!” Martin, a mom of four, tells TODAY.com. “My physical therapist later explained that he was essentially popping my hip joint out of socket.”
On July 29, it all clicked for the 30-year-old from Dixon, Tennessee, when she gave birth to Cassian, a 12-pound, 14 ounce boy, one of the largest newborns ever delivered at Tristar Centennial Women’s Hospital.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, most full-term babies (39 to 40 weeks gestation) weigh between 6 and 9 pounds.
Martin says she was disappointed when, at 36 weeks, she learned that her baby was already measuring 10 pounds and that she would need a cesarean section.
But Martin says she doesn’t even want to imagine what might have happened if she had attempted a vaginal delivery.
“As soon as they pulled him out, everyone in the operating room collectively gasped,” she recalls. “They were absolutely shocked at his size.”
Courtesy Shelby Martin
Courtesy Shelby Martin There was a gasp in the operating room when Shelby Martin’s baby was born. Courtesy Shelby Martin
Though Martin did not have gestational diabetes, which can lead to unusually large babies, she says postpartum bloodwork revealed that her body had some insulin resistance, likely connected to Cassian’s glucose issues.
“That’s why he was so puffy,” she says. “He couldn’t even open his eyes for three days.”
Shelby Martin was disappointed to learn she would need a C-section … but now that she knows her baby’s size, she’s glad she had one. Courtesy Shelby Martin
After a 10-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) during which Cassian’s pancreas was not producing enough insulin and he also required oxygen, he healthy enough to be discharged home to his family.
“He’s the sweetest little boy,” Martin gushes, noting that at 10 weeks, Cassian already weighs 16 pounds, placing him in the 97th percentile.
Cassian is now home with his family and thriving. Courtesy Shelby Martin
Cassian was born on a poignant milestone, coming exactly one year after Martin and her partner, Joshua Thomas, learned of a miscarriage. His birthday also happens to be Martin’s, too.
When Tristar Centennial Medical Center shared the news of Cassian’s big arrival on Facebook, they celebrated the moment as a full-circle triumph, writing, “Their story is a beautiful reminder of resilience and love.”
This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:
