'The shock when the baby came out': Cambridge, Ont. OB-GYN describes delivering record-breaking infant

A family in southern Ontario is welcoming their fifth child to the world, which also happens to be the heaviest baby born at the Cambridge Memorial Hospital in more than a decade.

Sonny Ayres, was delivered on Monday by caesarean section. The newborn weighed 14 pounds, eight ounces. The hospital database only goes back to 2010, but Sonny is the heaviest baby born at the hospital since that time.

“We were very surprised at how big Sonny was. He was born 14.5 pounds and I didn’t think that I would ever be saying that out loud,” Britteney Ayres, Sonny's mom said.

Parents Chance and Britteney Ayres hold their new baby Sonny on Oct. 24, 2023. (Colton Wiens/CTV Kitchener)

Sonny was born on Monday in great health. News of his size quickly spread around the hospital.

“The shock when the baby came out. It was just chubby and chunky and went on the weighing scale, and it was quite a large baby,” Dr. Asa Ahimbisibwe, Ayres’ obstetrician-gynecologist said.

Dr. Ahimbisibwe said the Ayres are known to produce big children, and an ultrasound last week showed Sonny would be around 6,000 grams.

“She had had a baby who was 13 pounds, 14 ounces maybe three years ago. So it was around the same size with the previous baby,” Dr. Ahimbisibwe said.

An ultrasound last week showed Sonny would be around 6,000 grams, or around 13 pounds. (Submitted/Chance Ayres)

Dr. Ahimbisibwe said Sonny is also the biggest infant he’s seen in his over 15 years delivering babies.

“He was pretty big," Britteney Ayres said. "It was hard to get around. But I didn’t think 14 pounds. At the very least maybe 13.”

"He’s big around. A lot of our other children were long. He’s a little more stout,” Chance Ayres, Sonny’s dad said.

“The shock when the baby came out – it was just chubby and chunky and went on the weighing scale, and it was quite a large baby,” delivering obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Asa Ahimbisibwe said. (Submitted/Chance Ayres)

Sonny is the fifth child in the Ayres family. The youngest of three boys and one girl – Chance, 6, Everett, turning five, Lucky, 3, Marigold, 1.5 and Sonny.

“Blown away. Words can’t describe it. It’s one of those feelings you get that’s overwhelming at first and then something that you just can’t explain,” Chance Ayres said.

Sonny is the Ayres' fifth child. (Submitted/Chance Ayres)

Now with enough kids for an offensive line, the Ayres family is complete.

"We have a beautiful family. It’s a labour of love,” Britteney Ayres said.

“No this is the end. Five is enough,” Chance Ayres said.

The Cambridge Memorial Hospital’s database only goes back to 2010. Sonny is the biggest baby born since. The average baby delivered at the hospital weighs around 7.5 pounds and less than five other births have weighed more than 6,000 grams.

Britteney and Chance Ayres with their newborn. (Submitted/Chance Ayres)