Sonoma County’s first baby of 2017 arrives

It started with an In-N-Out double-double, and it ended that way, too. Who knew hamburgers were such harbingers of pregnancy milestones?

That was the case for 22-year-old Ana Sanchez Martinez of Rohnert Park, who at 12:07 a.m. Sunday became the mother of Sonoma County’s first baby of 2017.

She was surrounded by nine family members Sunday afternoon at Petaluma Valley Hospital, where she sat in a rocking chair cozied up with 7-pound, 13-ounce Meredy Lizet Cruz Sanchez.

When Sanchez Martinez first found out she was pregnant, it was the double-double that clued her in.

She got sick after eating one - really sick - and figured something was up. Turns out it wasn’t bad beef, it was a baby. Morning sickness.

Then, for dinner Friday, two days before her due date, she and sister-in-law Ivonne Rosas again went out for hamburgers.

And again, the double-double made her sick.

“She thought it made her sick, but she didn’t realize it was contractions,” said Rosas, 30, laughing.

When Sanchez Martinez went into labor at 4 a.m. Saturday, she decided against an epidural. She didn’t realize she would end up being in labor for another 20 hours.

The family chose Petaluma Valley Hospital because Rosas had her children there.

The family knew they had the hospital’s first baby of 2017, but didn’t find out until later in the day little Meredy Lizet was actually the first in the county.

“We’re really happy for her, and we’re so excited,” said Areli Sanchez, Sanchez Martinez’s aunt.

Meredy’s father, 33-year-old Jose David Cruz Duran, was in Mexico working, and missed her birth.

Sunday, in accordance with county tradition, the family was visited by Miss Sonoma County, Hannah Maffia, 19, and Miss Sonoma County’s Outstanding Teen, Siobhan Hauff, 17.

The two brought a basket of goodies essential for both a newborn and new mom such as diapers, bibs, socks, teething rings and a manicure set.

“It brings everyone together and it’s a good way to spread some cheer and celebrate the new year,” Maffia said.

You can reach Staff Writer Christi Warren at 707-521-5205 or christi.warren@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @SeaWarren.