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Indiana Woman With Gestational Diabetes Gives Birth To 16-Pound Baby

By Lindsay McCane
Published on: 13:32 PST, Jul 1, 2017

When Whitney Hallett went into labor, she knew she was going to be having a big baby. However, she never expected just how big he would be.

Hallett, of Seymour, Indiana, already had three children, who were born weighing more than average: eight pounds, eight ounces, and 11 pounds, one ounce, and nine pounds, 14 ounces. So when she found out she was pregnant with her forth, she assumed this baby would be big as well. On May 1, she delivered their newest addition via c-section, and was shocked to find out just how much he weighed: a whopping 16 pounds.

“The doctors and nurses were like, ‘Oh my god!'” Whitney’s husband, Edmond Hallett, told Us Weekly. “We ended up weighing him three times because no one could believe he actually weighed 16 pounds. At first I thought maybe the scale was broken.”

No, the scale was not broken, and Edmond quickly realized he needed to go find some bigger clothes for their new bundle of joy, who they named Waylon Cole.

“There was no way he was fitting into a newborn outfit!” he said.

Waylon was born with breathing and feeding issues which kept him in the hospital’s NICU for seven weeks. However, he is now doing better, and is home with his family.

“He weighs 17 pounds, 7 ounces,” Edmond said. “He sleeps a lot more than our other babies did, but he’s healthy. When he’s awake, he’s alert and smiles. He’s a happy boy.”

So, what caused Waylon to be born weighing 16 pounds? According to American Pregnancy, it’s not uncommon for a woman diagnosed with gestational diabetes, a usually temporary type of diabetes that causes the body to not be able to produce enough insulin to regulate sugar during pregnancy, to give birth to a large baby. Other effects of gestational diabetes on the mother and baby include: premature delivery, increased chance of having to have a C-section, and a slightly increased risk of fetal and neonatal death.

The chances of developing gestational diabetes increases for woman over the age of 35, overweight women, and women who have a history of diabetes in their family. Most women are tested for the condition around the 28th week of pregnancy. While some women may experience no symptoms, others may notice themselves being unusually thirsty, urinating more frequently, fatigue, nausea, and blurred vision. In addition, bladder, kidney, and skin infections are also common. Most of the time, gestational diabetes can be controlled with diet and exercise. However, doctors can provide insulin therapy for the more severe cases.

[Featured Image by sukanya sitthikongsak/Shutterstock]

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