Oskaloosa Police Officer Delivers Baby

Officer Garrett Matson (right) is seen moments after helping deliver a baby. (submitted photo)

Oskaloosa, Iowa – It’s not something they train for, but Oskaloosa Police Officer Garrett Matson helped deliver a baby girl.

Officer Garrett Matson responded to a medical call after 2 am Friday morning.

Oskaloosa resident Amanda Birch had been having difficulty telling the difference between false labor and real labor. She had the urge to use the restroom when she felt the baby’s head crowning.

“I was doing good to get into the bathtub at that point. I braced against the sides of the empty tub and did what God designed,” said mother Amanda Birch. “The police officer arrived just in time to catch my girl as she came out.”

“God designed and put the whole thing together. It is not what I would have planned, but it all worked out well,” says Birch.

Oskaloosa Police Chief Jake McGee said that he has been a part of the Oskaloosa Police Department for 27 years, “and this is our first experience at delivering a baby”.

Police officers are trained for many first-aid situations, but they take no special training to deliver babies.

“It sounds like everything went well, and that’s the most important thing,” McGee said.

“The paramedics and officers did an excellent job of cutting the cord and getting me to the hospital, and the hospital did an excellent job of making sure the baby and I were okay. I am recovering well,” said Birch.

Father of the baby, Daniel Birch had this to say of Officer Matson, “He and the paramedics are our family’s heroes, especially to our little girl.“