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Woman gives birth at instant oil-change shop

E-mail|Link|Comments () May 11, 2010 11:20 AM

By Stefanie Geisler, Globe Correspondent

People typically go to the Valvoline Instant Oil Change in Cambridge to have someone change their oil, check their fluids, and perform other minor services. But last week, its parking lot was the scene of a much more important event.

Just after 9 a.m. last Monday, officers responded to a report of a woman giving birth at the Massachusetts Avenue shop, police said in a statement.

Officer Steve Allen got there within minutes and was met by a crowd of people frantically waving him over to an SUV in the parking lot. In the backseat of the car, Allen found a woman who had just given birth.

Another woman who had helped with the birth shoved the baby into Allen's hands, saying it wasn't breathing. The baby was turning blue.

Allen hit the baby twice on the back. He checked the baby's mouth for any blockage. Then, just as he was preparing to breathe into the baby's mouth, the baby started breathing and crying.

An ambulance transported the mother and baby to Mt. Auburn Hospital a short time later. Both were doing fine, according to police officials.