Birth Story Video Goes Viral on Social Media
Pelvic and Tailbone Fractures During Delivery
A woman in the United States with type 1 diabetes has attracted attention after delivering a 5kg "super-sized" baby girl via natural birth. The mother shared her birth story, saying, "I was able to endure it thanks to the epidural." On August 3 (local time), Newsweek in the United States reported on the story of Nancy Hawkins, a 29-year-old living in Tennessee. After becoming pregnant, Hawkins was told during a routine growth ultrasound in the third quarter of last year that her baby was somewhat large for gestational age.
At that time, the baby was at the 50th percentile for growth?a normal range?up to 30 weeks of pregnancy. However, in a subsequent ultrasound, the baby's growth percentile suddenly soared above the 99th percentile. The amount of amniotic fluid was also measured to be somewhat high, requiring weekly check-ups. Hawkins recalled, "My high-risk obstetrician told me, 'It's not your fault. Some babies are just born big.'"
Labor pains began three weeks earlier than expected, at 37 weeks of pregnancy. She went into labor during a routine non-stress test and was admitted to the hospital. After a full day of labor, she entered the delivery phase. However, the baby’s shoulders became stuck in the mother’s pelvis?a complication known as shoulder dystocia. Hawkins said, "The nurses rushed in, shouting, 'Push!' and 'Keep pushing!' It was a truly terrifying moment." After persistent efforts, the baby was fortunately born safely without major problems. However, due to respiratory distress, the baby was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where she received high-flow oxygen therapy and phototherapy for jaundice for four days. During delivery, Hawkins suffered fractures to her pelvis and tailbone, requiring six months to recover. She said, "It was extremely painful, but pelvic floor therapy helped me a lot."
The birth story video Hawkins posted on TikTok has garnered over 3.8 million views. In particular, the video captured the baby after delivery, weighing an impressive 10 pounds 8 ounces (about 4.8kg). The medical staff at the time were also surprised by the baby's weight, which was much higher than expected. Now, 15 months after birth, the baby is in the 50th to 60th percentile for weight, within the average range, and is growing up healthy. Hawkins said, "Everyone loves Hazel and says she is so cute," adding, "She is an irreplaceable part of our family." Meanwhile, a "large baby" is generally defined as one weighing more than 4kg at birth. The average birth weight for newborns in Korea is 3.3kg for boys and 3.2kg for girls.
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