Melrose police officer helps deliver ‘healthy baby girl’ at home

Local

“We are fortunate to have people like Officer Baldwin in our ranks.”

It’s a girl!

On Thursday, in the early hours of the morning, Melrose Police Officer Ashley Baldwin helped a 38-year-old woman deliver a healthy baby girl at home.

According to a press release, Melrose police and fire were called to the home around 3 a.m. for a report of a woman in active labor. Lucky for this mother-to-be, Baldwin is trained as a nurse and identified that the woman was in advanced stages of labor and the baby’s arrival was imminent. 

Baldwin assisted in the delivery of a baby girl and tended to the mother, before both were transported to a local hospital by the Melrose Fire Department. The mother and infant, named Avery, were released over the weekend and are now at home.

“Officer Baldwin represents an evolving brand of police officer. She is highly-educated, with a focus on health and wellness as well as safety and law enforcement,” Melrose Police Chief Michael Lyle said in a statement. “I am very pleased with her work, delivering professional services and care to the citizens of Melrose. We are fortunate to have people like Officer Baldwin in our ranks.”

Baldwin studied nursing at Salem State University and worked as a nurse in the emergency department at Winchester Hospital before joining the department in December. She continues to work in the emergency department at Massachusetts General Hospital.

“We are proud of Officer Baldwin for her outstanding work and are excited to welcome this [beautiful] baby girl into the world,” Melrose Mayor Paul Brodeur said.