Newborn babies usually weigh between three and four kilograms.
So when mother-of three Cindy Richmond gave birth to a tot weighing 6.5kgs, or 14 pounds, she was surprised to say the least.
“I never thought he would be this big. I’m really shocked”, she said. “It was a lot to take in. We had that ‘oh crap’ moment because we didn’t have anything that would fit – diapers, clothes.”
The 37-year-old gave birth by C-section, and says: “The last few months of the pregnancy were definitely a challenge.”
“Colin is my third and I definitely got less sleep with him and there was more pressure – he was heavy to carry. It’s really cool and I can’t wait until he’s older so he can understand.”
Colin was born last Friday in the Lexington medical centre in Lexington, South Carolina. He is the largest baby to be born there in 30 years.
His father Arthur Keisler, 38, a disabled US Army veteran, described the couple’s difficulty at clothing him, as the three to six month clothes they initially put him in are already too tight just a week after his birth.
“Initially we didn’t have clothes that fit him so I had to go and buy an outfit and my wife’s mum had got some clothes that we had bought for when he was older.
“He’s always going to be the tallest in his class. I was that tall when I was born and now I’m 6ft2, but I was half his weight.
Mr Keisler and his wife initially thought they were expecting a double baby whammy.
“We knew we were going to have a big baby from the start because Cindy’s belly was huge. Everyone thought we were having twins.
“But we never thought he would be this big. I was shocked.
“I’m beaming from ear to ear. He is beautiful. I’m beaming from ear to ear. There is that joy but then it is just like, ‘Oh my God.’
“I have to remind myself that he is still a newborn because picking him up he feels like a toddler, but he is not able to support his head.
“When he was born all the nurses and doctors were just flabbergasted.
“They were all trying to guess how big he was and they were googling big babies.”
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Donna Hinton, clinical coordinator for labour and delivery at the Lexington medical center, told a local TV station: “You never know what’s going to happen.”
“When you feel like you’ve seen it all, something’s going to come through and blow you away, but nothing like a 14-pounder.”
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