ON April 28, 30-year-old Susan Haynes was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital after going into labour. The next day, she would give birth to a bouncing baby boy, who weighed in at a record-breaking eleven pounds.
Recounting her story, Susan, an employee of the Police Special Constabulary, stationed at the Ministry of Finance said that she experienced some struggle in the labour room, and that to her, the entire ordeal seemed a ‘lifetime’.
But on April 29, under the watchful eyes of doctors and nurses, her ‘big baby’ was delivered by Caesarian Section (C-Section).
Susan became pregnant for the second time, six years after giving birth to her first child, and so the announcement came with much excitement.
But, for the remainder of her pregnancy, little did she know that she was headed for a record-breaking delivery.

She recalls that even though she was given assistance to induce labour, the baby still was not coming, which baffled even the doctors. What made the end result so surprising, too, was that during her pregnancy, she had about three ultrasound procedures, the last being taken about three weeks before she went into labour. But, she said, it appeared that the instruments kept the phenomenon a guarded secret.
In the midst of all this, Susan’s blood pressure continued to soar, and she was placed under specialist care. On the day she was taken to the theatre, she recalled that there were several doctors around her, all of whom showed extreme care and concern during the entire procedure.

Susan said that when her son was finally born, the doctors and nurses were amazed at his size. She said that the moment she regained consciousness, they blurted out to her: “You got a big baby!” But not even that prepared her for what was in store. It was not until about two days later that she would see him for the very first time.
“I looked at him and I said, impulsively, ‘Is where he come from?’” Susan said. But there’s no better feeling than when a mother, for the first time, sees the baby she has been nurturing and carrying in the womb for nine months. The joy that transcends that experience is almost unspeakable.
“Yes! I was excited and overjoyed! I immediately thanked God for a safe delivery. I prayed for God’s blessings on the doctors and nurses in whose care I was entrusted, and who I know did the best for me,” Susan said.

“I offered thanks to my mother and the remainder of the family who were always there for me, including my little girl six-year old Timeka, who is still excited about her baby brother, even though she has been replaced as the baby in the home,” she added.
Susan said that the reality did take some time to sink in, particularly the fact that for months before her due date, she had been shopping clothing for her baby, and when he did arrive, nothing could fit him, so she had to start shopping all over again.
Today, both mother and baby are doing fine. Initially, following the delivery, Susan had to be confined to bed for a few days, while her son was placed on discharge list. So, technically, baby was discharged before mother.
Asked how soon she proposes having her third child, Susan spontaneously replied: “Nah-nah-nah! I good! I good!” This too, is not surprising.
According to medical statistics, the normal weight of a baby who reaches full term between 37 and 40 weeks is six to nine pounds, while the average weight is 7.7 pounds. When babies are born significantly larger than average, it is referred to as “fetal macrosomia”.
It is recorded that about nine per cent of babies born worldwide weigh more than 8 pounds, 13 ounces.