Mom who endured 19 miscarriages was ready to welcome another baby—nothing prepared her for 14-pound surprise during delivery
Welcoming a new baby can be a joyous moment for many parents. For one couple, the joy came in a big size as they celebrated the birth of their 14-pound baby. They were even happier because they had experienced a series of miscarriages before their third son was born in 2021. The couple, Cary and Tim Patonai, had 17 miscarriages before their second son was born in 2019 and two more before their 14-pound bundle of joy was born in 2021, per ABC 15 Arizona.
The family was not too surprised, as they were used to having large babies before. Tim explained that their oldest was 8.2 pounds and their second one was 11.1 pounds at the time of birth. "I mean, this guy right here was 11.1 pounds and this one was 8.2, so we’re used to having big babies." The baby, Finnley, was born weighing 14.1 pounds, double the size of an average newborn. The baby was also taller than average at 24 inches and surprised the doctors who delivered him. "They were like, oh my god, I can’t believe he’s so big, they couldn’t wait to get him on the scale," Cary recounted.
"They got him on the scale at like 14.1. I’ve never seen it that big. The doctor and one of the sweetest nurses there... they were all taking selfies with us, they asked permission, of course, but they were just so pumped," the mom went on. Their second-born was also among the top five big babies at the hospital when he was born. "When he was born, he was my doctor's top five of the biggest and I was like, just you wait, I’m gonna get to the top of the list, totally joking two years ago and then we accidentally did it, so," Cary hilariously remarked. Taking their baby home meant a lot to the parents, as they had suffered from 19 pregnancy losses before. Two of them before Finnley's birth. "Two of those miscarriages were sets of twins, so it was very difficult," Cary pointed out.
The couple kept trying for a baby and didn't give up on hope before they finally had Finnley. The Arizona baby was born at 38 weeks, so he had to stay at the NICU for a couple of weeks, per Fox 10 Phoenix. At home, the boy's two older brothers were elated to meet him, per 9 News. The woman's then 2-year-old showered his little brother with kisses. According to the Cleveland Clinic, having a larger-than-usual baby is known as fetal macrosomia. Most births are uncomplicated in such situations. However, it could be caused by factors like diabetes and obesity.
The parents had to get new clothes for their baby as the ones they had picked out were too small for him. Friends and family of the couple believed that the baby would do something amazing, like become a football player when he grew up. "He’s gonna be a football player, get him in those pads," Tim remembered a friend's remark. The baby's big brothers could be seen doting on him, excited at their little brother's arrival. "Finnley just goes along with everything; he’s a very well-behaved baby," Cary expressed.