Jennifer and Eric Medlock knew they were expecting a big baby. But the couple got the surprise of their life when Jennifer gave birth to a 14–pound, 13–ounce son named Ali James Medlock on December 12.
Twice the size of an average newborn, Ali is the largest child ever delivered at Texas Health Arlington Memorial Hospital in Arlington, Texas.
“We did not expect 14 pounds,” Jennifer told USA Today on Friday, December 28. “Nobody did.”
Ali, who arrived via C-section, spent one week in the neonatal intensive care unit due to low blood sugar, low platelet counts and rapid breathing, per local news station KTVT.
“It doesn’t matter how big he is,” Jennifer said while speaking with KTVT. “I’m so blessed.”
Eric revealed during the interview that Jennifer did not suffer from gestational diabetes, a condition that can cause a baby to grow very big in utero when not properly treated.
“He’s sleeping and eating and he’s just a healthy boy,” Eric told KTVT. “Just a little bit bigger than you would expect.” The dad noted that Ali is wearing clothing designed for a 6-month-old and is already in a size 3 diaper. Quipped Eric: “We skipped [size] zero very quickly!”
Ali was discharged from the hospital on December 19, the same day Jennifer was re-admitted for a C-section infection. “She has been released to Home Health and is currently under the care of a nurse and wound care staff,” a family member wrote on the Medlock’s GoFundMe page.
According to American Pregnancy, the average newborn weighs seven-and-a-half pounds at birth. The heaviest baby born to a healthy mother was 22 pounds, 8 ounces in Italy in 1955.
