It’s a Girl! 13-Pound Baby Makes Grand Entrance at Orange Park Medical Center

The Clooney twins aren’t the only celebrity babies making a grand entrance these days. Carleigh Brooke Corbitt made a name for herself after a solid 13 pound, 5 ounce public debut at Orange Park Medical Center a few weeks ago. She is one of the largest baby girls ever born at the HCA Healthcare-affiliated hospital.

Larry and Chrissy Corbitt, parents to Baby Carleigh and four other children – ages 16, 11, 9 and 3 – expected a big baby, but were surprised by their not-so-little bundle of joy.

“It looked like they pulled a toddler out of my belly. She’s so big,” the proud mom told ABC News. “She’s just a big squishy baby. She’s so adorable.”

Chrissy also told the national network: “I had no idea she was going to be so popular. It’s been a great experience and I can’t wait to look back on this and share it with her to show her she became a celebrity overnight.”

Dr. Eric Edelenbos delivered the baby by Caesarean section on May 15 at Orange Park Medical Center and has been amazed by Baby Carleigh’s “celebrity.”

“She’s a big baby – the largest I’ve ever delivered – but I didn’t realize she was going to create so much attention,” said the 14-year veteran OB-GYN, lightheartedly. “Just by the way she was measuring, I thought she would weigh at least 11 pounds. I honestly didn’t anticipate that she’d weigh over 13 pounds. I’m thrilled for the family.”

The Corbitt’s other children ranged between 8 and nearly 11 pounds, according to dad, who himself tipped the scales at 10 pounds, 14 ounces – above the average newborn weight of 8 pounds in the United States.

This is the Florida couple’s second born at Orange Park Medical Center and second delivered by Dr. Edelenbos.

“I’m so glad everyone has gotten a chance to witness this and to really put Orange Park Medical Center’s Labor and Delivery unit on the map,” Larry Corbitt said. “This wasn’t our first time doing this, but it was surely our best.”

“There were probably about eight people in the delivery room and everyone was so excited and throwing out numbers when they saw her,” he added. “It was definitely different than any other time, but they did a fantastic job. Every nurse, every person who brought food, every person who cleaned the room was top-notch.”

Carleigh, affectionately called “Chunky Monkey” by her family, had a short stay in the neonatal intensive care unit due to high sugar levels, has already outgrown her diapers and clothes – she’s in a size 3, but parents and her older siblings wouldn’t have it any other way.

“The kids are eating it up. They love it. They’re the cool kids right now,” said the five-time dad.

“She’s got so many rolls. She looks like the dog with all of the wrinkles,” he laughed. “She’s beautiful. No matter how much she weighed, we just wanted her to be healthy.”

We’re definitely not having any more, he finished.

The Corbitt’s will reunite with their caregivers at Orange Park Medical Center, an affiliate of HCA Healthcare’s South Atlantic Division, on Friday, June 9. Visit Good Morning America here for their feature on the family and learn more about big baby pregnancies from our Q&A with Dr. Edelenbos below.

What factors play a role into a baby’s weight at birth?

No one will ever know how much something contributes to the size of a newborn, but in this particular case, Chrissy had a history of macrosomia or, newborns who are larger than average, and she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, which, while controlled, more than likely played a role in the size of the baby.

Are there women who are most likely to develop gestational diabetes?

Yes. If there’s a family history, you tend to have a higher rate of gestational diabetes; if you have pre-existing diabetes that will put you at more of a risk; and if you had gestational diabetes during a prior pregnancy you could be at higher risk. So the main risk factors are a family history of gestational diabetes or diabetes, having a large baby before, and maternal obesity can contribute to it as well.

How do you treat gestational diabetes?

Gestational diabetes affects seven percent of the population. Every single patient, regardless of their history, is screened for gestational diabetes at Orange Park Medical Center. If you’re found to have the condition, we send you to one of our nurses who will give you education on diabetes itself. We also send those patients to a nutritionist, who will give counseling on diet and how to eat during pregnancy and we also will order a blood sugar monitor just as if you had diabetes.

Caring for Mrs. Corbitt for months, what size baby were you expecting?

I thought it was going to be at least 11 pounds because she delivered a 10 pound, 8-ounce baby before, and she told me that she felt bigger than any of her other pregnancies. If mom says, “I think it’s going to be a bigger baby,” most of the time, mom is correct.

There was actually a study conducted where they looked at what the OB-GYN doctor thought the weight of the baby would be and then compared it to an ultrasound and to what mom thought the weight of the baby would be. Which arm of the study do you think was most accurate in guessing the weight of the baby? Mom. Isn’t that amazing? You’ve got these doctors with all this experience, high-tech ultrasound machines that can give you estimated weight within a few ounces, and the moms are more accurate than anything else. So, she told me she thought it was going to be bigger. I figured the baby would be in the 11-pound range, but again, I didn’t think 13.

What are the risk factors, if any, in having a big baby?

The main concern with a large baby is delivery. You’re concerned the shoulder will get stuck with a larger baby, which is known as shoulder dystocia. This creates risks for the baby who can then suffer brain damage, injuries to the arms/hands, and other complications that might come along. That’s why it’s so important to have OB-care during pregnancy.