Nationwide — Daniella Hines, a 40-year-old African American mother from Riverview, Florida, was surprised when she delivered her newborn son weighing nearly 14 pounds, making him the heaviest baby ever born at St. Joseph’s Hospital-South in its 10-year history.
On September 3, Hines gave birth to her son, Annan, at the hospital. He weighed 13 pounds, 15 ounces, almost double the average newborn weight of 7 pounds. Doctors and nurses were stunned by his size, and word of the record-breaking delivery quickly spread through the maternity ward.
This wasn’t Hines’ first time welcoming a large baby. Her older son, Andre Jr., weighed 12 pounds, 11 ounces at birth. But this time felt different. “I remember thinking, ‘What are they pulling out of me?’ What is going on here?’ I felt so much pressure,” she told People.
When she finally saw her son, everything made sense. “He was so big. I was like, ‘Whose baby is this? He came out of me?’” she said. Annan immediately became the center of attention, with staff crowding in to see the unusually large newborn.
The family believes size may run in their genes. Both Hines and her husband, Andre Sr., stand over six feet tall, something she thinks played a role in Annan’s weight. Despite his record-breaking size, Hines said her son has been a “really chill” and calm baby in his first week of life, noting that he only fusses when hungry.
Hines also joked about saving the headlines for her son. “I can’t wait to show him when he gets older: ‘Look, you were in the news!’”
Grateful for her healthy baby, Hines said she views his size as a gift. “We didn’t expect such a big blessing,” she said. “But it’s just more to love.”