Big baby weighs in at 12lb 10oz

Julie Lau-Ryder weighed just 9st while she was pregnant

A woman from Manchester has given birth to a boy weighing 12lb and 10oz (5.71kg) - more than the average three-month-old.

Oliver Lau-Ryder is believed to be one of the biggest babies born at Wythenshawe Hospital.

His mother, Julie Lau-Ryder, 39, who was in labour for six-and-a-half hours, said he "was worth the pain".

Oliver's father, Dominic Ryder, said: "I was helping the midwives get him out, it was very, very scary."

He added: "So many people were rushing in to see how big he was."

Debbie Noblett, one of the midwives who helped during the natural birth, said: "He is the biggest newborn I have ever seen.

Oliver Lau-Ryder is one of the biggest babies born at Wythenshawe Hospital

"He is certainly one of the biggest to be born at Wythenshawe Hospital, an average baby weighs 7lb 5oz (3.3kg) so he's almost twice that size."

Mrs Lau-Ryder, who weighs less than 9st (57kg), added: "It's all been worth it now, but half way through labour I was shouting 'I don't want him anymore', but now I can just forget about the pain.

"I am just going to enjoy having my new born baby."

One of the biggest newborn babies in the north west of England was Joseph Griffin - nicknamed "The Mighty Joe" by his family - who weighed in at 13lb 13oz when he was born in Wirral, Merseyside in 2005.

He was delivered by Caesarean section after mother Sara Griffin, 25, underwent a 40-hour attempt at a natural birth.

Britain's heaviest newborn was delivered in Cumbria in 1992 weighing 15lb 8oz.