A mom from Tennessee was told her baby was measuring big, but nothing could prepare her for the number on the scales.
Nancy Hawkins (@nancyfhawkins) shared the surprise twist that followed a routine third-trimester growth scan in a post on TikTok.
The post begins with an image from her 3D scan, alongside the text: “The doctors: your baby is measuring big.”
@nancyfhawkins
Cut to a mirror selfie of Hawkins, 29, cradling her baby bump: “Me: Oh so like 8-9 pounds?”
The final slide showed baby Hazel, weighing 10 pounds, 8 ounces—three weeks early. Hawkins wrote in her caption: “Thank goodness for epidurals.”
Hawkins told Newsweek that Hazel was measuring on track at the 50th percentile—the average size for her gestational age—until her 30-week growth scan.
The new mom, who has type 1 diabetes, was under close monitoring from both a general obstetrician and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.
Despite her well-controlled blood sugars and A1C levels, Hazel suddenly began measuring above the 99th percentile during a routine scan at 30 weeks. Her amniotic fluid levels were also slightly elevated, prompting weekly appointments.
“My high-risk doctor told me it was nothing I was doing wrong,” Hawkins said. “[And] some babies just come out big!”
Still, no one expected just how big Hazel would be—or how dramatic her entrance into the world would become.
Hawkins described her labor as “a wild ride.” At her 37-week obstetrician appointment, she had a routine non-stress test.
She had also been experiencing cramps throughout the day and her blood pressure was running high.
After an hour of monitoring, Hawkins was in active labor and admitted to hospital.
Labor was typical at first—until it wasn’t. After a full day and an hour of pushing, Hawkins required immediate medical attention after Hazel’s shoulder was stuck behind her pelvic bone, also known as shoulder dystocia.
“All I heard was, ‘WE NEED A DOCTOR!’ and ‘KEEP PUSHING!'” Hawkins told Newsweek. “It was really scary. There were nurses and doctors running into the room.”
Hazel was stuck for over a minute. When she finally emerged, she was placed briefly on Sheridan’s chest before being whisked to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with breathing trouble.
She stayed there four days—initially on high-flow oxygen, then under bilirubin lights for jaundice.
Meanwhile, Hawkins suffered a broken pelvis and tailbone. “[It] hurt a lot and took about six months to heal,” she said. “All I can say is pelvic floor therapy is amazing.”
Now 15 months postpartum, Hawkins and baby Hazel are doing very well.
“I said, ‘So do y’all think she is about 9 pounds?’ And the room full of doctors just laughed at me and said, ‘Oh no, much bigger.’ Everyone was shocked when she was weighed.”
Indeed, the original plan had been for one more growth scan two days later to assess induction or schedule a C-section. “Hazel had other plans,” Hawkins added.
Hawkins’ clip has amassed 3.8 million views and a further 120,000 likes. Users on TikTok couldn’t get enough of her “#HolyAirball’ moment in the comments.
“Congratulations on your toddler,” one user joked.
“Girl, my middle was 13.6. She came out with a resume and packed lunch,” another shared.
Now 15 months old, Hazel is healthy, happy and back in the 50–60th percentile range for weight—perfectly average.
Friends and family are also obsessed. “Everyone loves her so much and thinks she is adorable,” Hawkins said. “We truly couldn’t have asked for a better addition to our family.”