The average girl that is born in the United Kingdom weighs about 7 pounds 4 ounces. While some babies weigh a little bit more or a little bit less, 7 pounds is pretty typical.
Amber Cumberland knew that her baby was going to be bigger than average. Her bump was large. Her skin was stretched so much that sometimes her stretch marks would bleed. She shared that she couldn’t even move in bed without help from her partner, Scott Joy.
The first time mother was two weeks past her due date before she went to the hospital for a scheduled Cesarean section to give birth to her baby. Joy also knew that the baby would be bigger than usual, but he was expecting a baby only a couple pounds bigger than average. He didn’t ever think the baby would weigh more than 10 pounds.
When she was having the C-section, Cumberland couldn’t see what was going on because of the curtain in front of her. She couldn’t see how big her baby was right away. She could only overhear the reactions of the nurses and see the expression on Joy’s face.
Cumberland explained, “When she came out Scott’s face was white and all the surgeons were looking at each other in shock and laughing – they brought her to me and said ‘Congratulations you’ve had a toddler.'”
Cumberland’s daughter, Emilia, was born weighing a whopping 13 pounds. She is considered the second biggest baby ever born in the U.K.
While at the hospital, the nurses and new parents had to scramble to find something for Emilia to wear. The diapers and clothes they had brought for her were all too small. Cumberland explained, “The hospital staff had to hunt down bigger nappies from pediatrics for us.”
Not only is Emilia big for her age, but according to her parents, she also acts more mature than a newborn. Cumberland explained, “She was kicking her feet out the other day like she was trying to start crawling. I was thinking, please don’t – stay small for a little bit longer!”
Emilia’s size has made it hard for Cumberland to heal. Childbirth caused her stomach muscles to split and even a week after birth, the nerves around her belly button are numb. She is unable to breastfeed or pick up Emilia because of the lack of support for her internal organs. She explained, “Because of the damage to my stomach muscles the stitches have no support and I have to be really careful.”
Despite the extended recovery time her body will require, Cumberland is “overjoyed” about being a new mom.