IS THIS the biggest bundle of joy ever to be born naturally in Sussex?

Doctors and midwives were flabbergasted to discover Emmie Bluebell Homewood weighed a whopping 12lb when she arrived at 12.09am on Tuesday.

The newborn is thought to be the heaviest baby girl ever to be delivered naturally at the Royal Sussex County Hospital - and possibly in the county.

She is not far behind the world record holding heaviest babies in the world, the latest of which weighs 15lb. The average baby weighs seven.

Her mother Hannah was far from daunted by the news, calling Emmie her "beautiful big surprise", and had a remarkably straightforward birth.

She said: "The doctors and midwives were amazed at the sight of her when she was born, especially with delivering her naturally. I only had gas and air.

"They estimated she could be 10 or maybe 11lbs. But when they popped her on the scales and she weighed 5.46kg they gasped 'oh my god'.

"They actually had to work out the conversion into pounds because she was so big.

"My midwife Julia said in her eight years at the hospital she had never delivered such a big baby naturally.

"Usually they are born by Caesarean.

"All the baby clothes we bought for her didn't fit so new bigger clothes had to be bought straight away, she's already in nought to three months-sized clothes."

"It seems quite rare as all the nurses and staff as soon as they came on shift had heard about her and were coming to meet her.

"Everyone at the hospital was brilliant."

The 26-year-old lives in Broomfield Drive, Portslade with her partner Luke, 30, and their two other daughters Macie Rose, seven, and Olivia Poppy, three, and 12-year-old stepson Jake.

She said her previous two births were also big - eight and nine pounds - but nothing compared to this.

She said: "Everything was fine, I had quite a big bump but didn't realise she would be this big. There were no complications.

"It all happened quite quickly, it certainly seemed quicker and slightly easier than the other births although they were fine too.

"I didn't get any pain until 9pm the night before and she was born within four hours.

"We are so happy - Luke and my mum Liane were there with me and they couldn't believe it either.

"She is perfect and such a happy, content baby. We are settling back in at home now.

"The children are so excited to have her here and we have a big family so it's quite a busy house at the moment but I love that everyone is visiting."

Factfile

IMAGINE carrying a large sack of potatoes - then add on a couple of pounds.

That is the weight of newborn Emmie Bluebell Homewood. She may look fairly small but cradling her will feel like the equivalent of carrying 12 cans of baked beans at once.

The record for the heaviest, healthy baby in the world was a boy born in Italy in 1955, who weighed 22lb 8oz. In May a baby girl born in India weighed 15lbs - the same as a six-month-old. The biggest baby born naturally in Britain was George King, delivered in February 2013 at the Gloucester Royal Infirmary, weighing 15lbs 7oz.