With their first child due on Jan. 5, Sara and Barrett Mononen of Watertown were excited that the baby would have the birth date of 1/5/15. Chase Robert had more immediate plans, however, arriving at the Emerson Hospital Clough Birthing Center on the equally noteworthy date of 1/1/15.
Chase was born at 8:28 p.m., weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces and measuring 21¼ inches long. He was delivered by Ingrid Balcomb, MD of A.F.A. Obstetrics and Gynecology, P.C., who previously delivered both children of Sara’s brother and sister-in-law, Dave and Marissa Heffernan of Lunenberg. In addition to 7-year-old Jack and 4-year-old Emma Heffernan, Sara was also born at Emerson.
“It’s a nice family connection,” Barrett noted. “We feel very comfortable here, especially since this is where we took our birthing classes and infant care class. Our experience was really fantastic the entire time.”
Although Sara awoke with contractions at 4:00 a.m. on New Year’s Day, Barrett said they made their way at a “pseudo-casual pace” to Emerson around noontime because they suspected false labor.
“From there, everything went quickly, and very well. Sara was a rock star,” said Barrett, calling the moment they learned they had a son “magical.”
“We didn’t have a single name narrowed down if it was a girl, and fortunately, we didn’t need one,” he added. “It was meant to be, and meeting our little man is absolutely the best way to start the new year.”
Photo caption: Sara and Barrett Mononen of Watertown welcomed their first child, Chase Robert, on New Year’s Day at the Emerson Hospital Clough Birthing Center.
# # #
Emerson Hospital is a multi-site health system headquartered in Concord, Mass., with additional facilities in Sudbury, Groton and Westford. The 179-bed hospital provides advanced medical services to more than 300,000 individuals in 25 towns. To learn more, visit www.emersonhospital.org
