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Stunned police become roadside midwives for Melbourne mum

Fernando and Bianca Martinez with their sons and baby Mia.

Fernando and Bianca Martinez with their sons and baby Mia. Photo: ABC

Police helped deliver a baby girl in the early hours of AFL grand final morning after they pulled over her parents’ car for erratic driving in Melbourne after midnight.

Family father Fernando Martinez was speeding on Geelong Road in Tottenham to get his wife Bianca Martinez, who was in late stage of labour, to hospital.

“He [Mr Martinez] got out of the car and stuck his hands up in the air and said ‘My wife is having a baby!’ and they’re like, ‘What?’,” Ms Martinez said.

“I already had half my body hanging out of the car … and when they saw me … they were like ‘oh, you are having a baby’.”

The family’s two sons, Dominico, 6, and Luis, 4, were in the back seat of the car at the time.

Police called an ambulance but the father and police delivered the baby, named Mia, abound 12.20 am.

Little Mia is cute as a button.

Mr Fernandez said he never thought he would have to deliver his own child.

“I was a bit shocked … a bit nervous but also excited,” he said.

“I was speaking to the ambos over the phone and we are very grateful for what they did.”

Recalling the events of the day Ms Martinez said she had pains throughout the day but thought it was because the baby was moving.

“But all of a sudden when we were about to have a shower about 11.30pm the pain started getting intense.

“I said to my husband ‘I think we should start getting ready to go to hospital because I think we are going to have the baby’.”

The family rushed to the car, called the hospital and were advised to ring an ambulance if they couldn’t make it in time.

Ms Martinez said once her water broke in the car she knew she would be giving birth soon.

“I just said to my husband I’ve got a … it’s happening.”

Son Dominico, who was in the back seat at the time said it was scary and he was nervous, but it was also “cool”.

Senior Constable Chris Ketses said he will always remember this police grand final day interception.

He said they initially followed the car due to speeding and sporadic stopping but soon realised it wasn’t a normal interception when the driver hopped out of the car yelling his wife was giving birth.

“I opened up the door and there I observed his wife … legs

A stunned Constable Chris Ketses put the ticket book away and played midwife. Photo: ABC

up in the air … in a bit of pain, so we quickly got onto the ambulance,” he said.

Senior Constable Ketses helped deliver the baby while the ambulance was on speaker phone in the car giving directions.

“I was a bit in shock, it’s not something we come across every day my partner I was working with last night being in the job for 28 years he’s never come across this.

“It was very interesting definitely something that you see in the movies, that you hear about but you never come across yourself.”

The family said it was “quite a scene” being pulled over by three police cars and having an ambulance arrive.

Mr Martinez said because it was so dark where they got pulled over they couldn’t see if it was a boy or girl.

Only once the ambulance arrived did the family find out it was a baby girl.

The paramedics took the baby girl and mother to Melbourne’s Royal Women’s hospital in Parkville, followed by the father and two brothers.
Ms Martinez said she was grateful for all the help and support by police, the ambulance and hospital.

“Now we have our little bundle of joy who was a surprise, sex wise, as well as delivery.”

-ABC

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