ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A visit to Lovelace Hospital for the flu turned into much more for one Albuquerque mother who ended up giving birth to the first baby born in 2025 in the city. It was a New Year’s Eve Albuquerque couple Diana Galindo and Antonio Valadez did not expect. “It was a surprise. Her due date was January 16, and she came early,” said Galindo.
Galindo initially came to Lovelace to monitor some flu symptoms when before getting discharged, doctors wanted to see if her baby – expected in two weeks – would make an early arrival. “They checked me and they’re like ‘Well, you can’t go home now, you have to stay, you’re five centimeters dilated,’” said Galindo. So while everyone was counting down to the new year… “I was having contractions,” said Galindo.
Presbyterian Hospital unveils state-of-the-art learning lab for future healthcare workers
Diana delivered the couple’s first baby girl Aylani Valadez at 12:36 a.m., weighing six pounds and 15 ounces. “We weren’t sure if she was the first baby ’cause we knew there was other people in the same hospital as us that were around the same time as me but then they came in and told us she was the first baby,” said Galindo.