A Tennessee mom has gone viral after giving birth to a record-breaking baby weighing nearly 13 pounds, the biggest born at her hospital in three years.
Shelby Martin welcomed her son, Cassian, at TriStar Centennial Women’s Hospital in Nashville, shocking doctors, nurses, and the internet alike.
Her hilarious TikTok post about “knowing ball” has since captured 35 million views and thousands of stunned and amused reactions.
Highlights
- Nashville mom Shelby Martin gave birth to a 13-pound baby boy, breaking the hospital’s records.
- Her viral TikTok post about “knowing ball” left millions amazed and amused.
- The baby, Cassian, spent time in the NICU for monitoring but is now thriving.
Shelby’s pregnancy photos had everyone guessing how big her baby would be
Image credits: @shlbmrtn
Before even stepping into the delivery room, Shelby Martin already had TikTok users captivated by the sheer size of her baby bump.
In her now-viral post, she shared a photo of herself in a hospital gown, belly stretched and glowing, joking, “When people talk about having a big baby, like I don’t know ball. But trust me… I know ball.”
It was a playful jab that resonated far beyond her follower list, because when she revealed just how big her “ball” was, people couldn’t believe it.
Image credits: @shlbmrtn
Her son Cassian arrived weighing 12 pounds 14 ounces (5.8 kilograms), far above the average weight of a newborn boy in the U.S., which typically sits around 7.2 pounds, according to The Independent.
Even the hospital staff were astonished. Cassian’s delivery officially broke TriStar Centennial Women’s Hospital’s record for the largest baby born there in the past three years.
As Shelby later told followers, the moment felt “surreal,” not just because of his size, but because Cassian arrived on her birthday, making him, as she put it, her “greatest gift.”
Cassian is a big baby with an even bigger story
Image credits: @shlbmrtn
Cassian’s early hours came with a few health precautions. Following his birth, he was admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for observation, where he received an IV and supplemental oxygen while nurses monitored his glucose levels.
While the medical team handled the baby Cassian's needs, social media continued to fawn over him.
Shelby’s TikTok post became a viral sensation overnight, gathering an impressive 35 million views, according to The Irish Sun.
Image credits: @shlbmrtn
In the comments, thousands of users flooded the thread with a mix of humor, disbelief, and genuine concern for the mom who just made local history.
“Did he drive y’all home afterwards?” joked one commenter. Another teased, “I usually don’t advocate for push presents, but girl, you better demand EVERYTHING.”
Others simply asked the question everyone wanted answered: “Please tell me you did a C-section?”
Shelby didn’t shy away from the curiosity, leaning into the jokes on her social media page.
In follow-up videos, she shared her recovery experience with humor, confirming that, yes, Cassian’s delivery was real and her big baby was not AI at all.
The internet can’t stop talking about baby Cassian
Image credits: TriStar Centennial Medical Center
The response to Shelby’s story has been nothing short of massive. More than 50,000 people left comments under her initial viral post, ranging from jokes to heartfelt congratulations.
“Congratulations, but like… are you okay?” one user asked, while another wrote, “Absolutely horrifying. Thank you.”
Some couldn’t help but compare Cassian to a toddler, saying he looked “ready for kindergarten” right out of the womb. Others joked that Cassian is probably getting drafted to the NFL soon.
Even traditional media caught wind of the story, with local station WSMV News 4 Nashville featuring Shelby and Cassian’s story.
As could be seen in the celebratory post of the TriStar Centennial Women’s Hospital on Facebook, however, Cassian’s birth was actually extra special for Shelby.
“After loss comes light. Just one year after experiencing an unimaginable loss on her birthday, this mom welcomed the greatest gift-- Baby Cassian—who now shares the same birthday as her.
Image credits: Joshua Ray Thomas
“Born at 12 pounds, 14 ounces, he is the largest newborn delivered at TriStar Centennial Women's Hospital in the past 3 years, their story is a beautiful reminder of resilience and love,” the hospital wrote on its post.
Shelby responded by thanking the hospital and its staff for their hard work in ensuring that Cassian was delivered and cared for without any issues, though she did not provide specifics on the loss that the TriStar Centennial Women’s Hospital referenced in its post.
“I also want to send extra thanks to the ladies that took the best care of me and helped me navigate through c-section recovery as a first time c-section mama. Another huge thank you to the NICU team that cared for our big guy and loved on him when I couldn’t. I will never forget you,” Shelby wrote in a reply.
Netizens shared their thoughts on Shelby’s giant baby on social media
