The baby is the third biggest newborn ever in the UK.
Editor's note: This article was originally published on November 2, 2021. It has since been updated.
Childbirth is no easy feat, but it was even harder for Cherral Mitchell, 31, given how she gave birth to a baby that weighed a whopping 14lbs 15oz. The little one named Alpha is believed to be the third biggest newborn ever in the UK, according to Newsweek. The average weight of a baby born in the UK is 7lbs 8oz for boys and 7lbs 4oz for girls. The current record holder is 15lb 8oz Guy Carr, born in 1992, and in second place is 15lb 7oz George King, who was born in Gloucester in 2013.
Born at 38 weeks, the not-so-little baby is now known by nicknames such as "Baby Hippo" and "Butter Bean", due to his colossal size. Also, Alpha's birth itself, on October 20, 2021, was a big surprise for Mitchell, since she'd gotten the contraceptive coil before he was conceived with electrical engineer husband Tyson, 35. The mom, who already has three other children— Lyon, three - and daughters Rogue-Angel, four, and Twyla Bay, 10 months — was rather surprised to see her larger-than-usual son.
Cherral Mitchell, 31, welcomed baby Alpha weighing a whopping 14lb 15oz on October 28 pic.twitter.com/LbwaSOI376
— Liverpool Echo (@LivEchonews) November 1, 2021
At 37 weeks, Alpha was estimated to be 11lbs 1oz in a scan, but he gained three pounds before he was born a week later through a C-section at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. However, it came as a complete surprise to everyone because the mother said her "stomach was big but not that massive so I don't know where he was hiding."
"We didn't think he was going to be that big," she said. "Everyone kept laughing when his head came out. My husband Tyson was like 'oh my God he's chunky'." To put things into perspective, Mitchell needed help from two nurses so she could finally get her baby out. "There were two nurses pulling - one was trying to push him down to get him out," added the mother.
Baby Alpha was a surprise as mum Cherral and dad Tyson Mitchell had been using contraception pic.twitter.com/YNXgKTiGge
— Liverpool Echo (@LivEchonews) November 1, 2021
Immediately after the delivery, the nurses said he was the biggest baby they'd ever seen, and even got onto their phones to see if he actually was. "He's a bit of a pumpkin baby with it being so close to Halloween."
"I keep saying I gave birth to a baby butterbean. My uncle Jason calls him a baby hippo," the mother said and added that all her other children were within the normal weight range.
Meanwhile, doctors believe that the real reason Alpha's larger is because of a sweet tooth. They think he was snacking on his mom's sugary fluids while in the womb. "They think that because I was diagnosed quite late with gestational diabetes, Alpha was in amniotic fluid that was sweeter. So he was drinking a lot and peeing a lot and getting a high intake of sugar."
Baby Alpha was a surprise as Cherral Mitchell had been using contraceptionhttps://t.co/PYei8jiNqE
— Liverpool Echo (@LivEchonews) November 2, 2021
The little one is currently in the NICU, recovering, but he is expected to be home sooner than soon.
References:
https://www.newsweek.com/meet-newborn-baby-who-was-crowned-britains-third-largest-record-1697705
Cover Image Source (Representative): Getty Images | Keith Brofsky
