An American mother, Shelby Martin, has made headlines after giving birth to one of the largest babies in recent years — a 13-pound son named Cassian, born in July.
The 30-year-old mother of four told People magazine that she had hoped for a natural birth with immediate skin-to-skin contact but had to undergo a cesarean section after doctors warned that her baby’s size posed serious delivery risks.
“There was a real risk he could get stuck during delivery. That changed everything,” Shelby said. “I knew the safest choice was a C-section, and thankfully, I had an amazing OBGYN and care team at TriStar Centennial who I trusted completely.”
During her pregnancy, Shelby and her husband Joshua were told that their baby was measuring large, though the final weight still came as a surprise.
“We had a heads up that he was going to be big, but I would have never guessed almost 13 pounds,” she said. “Looking back on bump pictures, I probably should have known.”
In a separate interview with Today, Shelby revealed the physical toll of carrying Cassian, saying she “didn’t think she would survive” the pregnancy.
“My physical therapist later explained that he was essentially popping my hip joint out of socket,” she said.
When Cassian was finally delivered, the room reportedly fell silent in awe.
“As soon as they pulled him out, everyone in the operating room collectively gasped. They were absolutely shocked at his size,” Shelby recalled.
Cassian spent 10 days in the neonatal intensive care unit due to glucose issues before being discharged home healthy.
For Shelby and her husband, Cassian’s arrival carried deep emotional meaning — coming about a year after they experienced a miscarriage.
“He truly is the brightest rainbow we had been dreaming of,” she said. “Of course, we still mourn our angel we lost, but being able to get him Earthside has filled something in all of us. His brothers are over the moon.”