Boston's first baby of 2025 born at Massachusetts General Hospital minutes after midnight
BOSTON – Massachusetts General Hospital was the winner of a friendly competition among Boston's hospitals, delivering the first baby in the city minutes after the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve.
Officials from Mass General Brigham, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston Medical Center and Tufts Medical Center keep in contact throughout New Year's Eve to find out which hospital gets the honor of welcoming the city's first baby.
Boston's first baby
At 12:14 a.m., baby girl Leah James Lombardi was born to Jessica and Michael Lombardi of Saugus at Mass General. Leah is the couple's second child.
After only nine minutes in labor, Leah was born, weighing 8 pounds, 7 ounces, and measuring 20.5 inches long. Both mother and baby are doing well, the hospital said.
"I feel great it was such an easy delivery," Jessica said.
The couple is thrilled to have their baby be a proud part of Boston tradition forever.
"I was excited," Jessica said. "We heard a bunch of cheering and yelling in the hallway, and then our nurse came running in and she said, 'Leah's the first baby born in the whole city.'"
"I guess it's bragging rights," Michael said.
New Year's babies
This marked the first time since 2015 that Mass General welcomed Boston's first baby of the year.
"Glad we were able to break the streak," Michael said.
Brigham and Women's has been busy on New Year's Eve in recent years.
In 2024, the race for Boston's first baby was too close to call. Three baby girls were born right at the stroke of midnight. One was born at Brigham and Women's Hospital and two at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Brigham and Women's took the honor in 2023. A baby boy was born at 12:07 a.m. to become the city's first newborn of the year.
In 2022, it was also Brigham and Women's taking the honors, delivering a baby girl at 12:05 a.m.
