Hayden's Birth/Weekend

After more than 2 months, I am finally sitting down to blog Hayden's birth story. There are so many days/nights that I wanted to get on an start blogging again, but every time something always came up or I wanted to just be lazy instead. But I think now I am starting to see a little more clear and I am ready to blog again. The first 2 months were nothing short of a little crazy.

I would have never in a million years thought I would go past 39 weeks, but sure enough I did. I had planed for the the days I would be in the hospital up until Christmas Eve weekend. There is no way I would go the full 40 weeks and surely I would have her before that weekend. I know these type of things you can not plan, but when you have 2 other kids and live out of the country with no family and a handful of friends, you have to plan. With Grayson going to school and having the neighbors or work friends, we had someone on call anytime except that weekend. The neighbors were going out of town for the weekend, Grayson's school was closed for the holiday and Darrin's co workers were all back in the States for Christmas.

It was Tuesday night, the 19th around 11pm, (39 weeks, 1 day) we had just put the kids down and it felt like my water was breaking. Every 10 minutes I was using the restroom, I called the hospital to see if I should come in and they said to come in for a check up to see what was going on. We called the neighbors to come over while the kids were asleep and we headed on up to the hospital. After about 2 hours and checking contractions, I was sent home. I was having contractions but not regularly and I was not yet in labor. I think I cried on the way home. I was so tired of being pregnant, tired of planning, wondering when it was going to happen, I knew I was down to my last days of having friends to help and I was just frustrated.

Two nights later, we put the kids down and around 9pm I started feeling contractions. But since just 2 nights ago we had a false alarm I wanted to wait. I knew I couldn't wait to long because I labor fast and since this was our third, I knew it would be fast as well. I had already had everything packed and ready, I was ready and we just sat on the couch watching TV for a couple of hours while we timed the contractions. Finally around 11:15pm they were regular and coming on pretty strong so out the door we went. This time I knew tonight would be the night we would welcome our sweet baby girl.

We got there and the same thing happened. They monitored me for a while, confirmed I was in labor, wheeled me upstairs and said they would check my dilation every 2 hours. The midwife (which is who delivers you here) asked me about an epidural, duh yes, and then she gave me a look. Here in Norway they are very pro all natural, but I reassured them I had already had 2 kids and I wanted the epidural. I started feeling the contractions pretty strong and they went ahead and sent in the anisteologist. He went over the information to make sure I wasn't changing my mind and then told me to sit like a cat. Him and the midwife talked the entire time about how I should teach women how to sit and how the precdure of an epidural works, they said they couldnt believe how calm and quiet I was. Not this Momma's first rodeo.

I think it was now around 12:30am. I remember asking the midwife how long until I would have some relief, she told me 10-15 minutes. I waited, and waited but I could still feel everything. Since I had an epidural with both Reagan and Grayson I knew that it should have been different. She asked the anisteoligist to come back in and give me something else. I waitied again. Now it was around 1:15ish and I remember telling Darrin I felt like I had to poop or that I was going to poop. (sorry if that was a little to much) I have heard that when you feel that way that means its time to push, they baby is coming, but since I was numb with the other two, I didn't feel that. Darrin told the midwife and she checked me, sure enough it was time.

I pushed for maybe a few of the longest minutes of my life. I could feel everything. I was so quiet and calm the entire time, but I know those few minutes I was not quiet at all. I remember screaming, "WHAT DO I DO?!"

But it all went away the moment our sweet and perfect little Christmas present was born.

Hayden Noel Snider

1:55am

7lbs 3 oz; 17 inches 

We stayed in the delivery room for about 2 hours until being moved up to my recovery room. Once we switched rooms Darrin went home to Reagan and Grayson for the rest of the night/morning. The next morning (Friday) around 9 one of Grayson's teachers at school was going to come pick him up for a few hours and take him to a park. Darrin brought Reagan up to the hospital around noon and she stayed with me and Hayden for almost the entire day. I remember Reagan's face when she walked in. It's like she knew her baby sister was here. When I had Grayson she was only 2 1/2 and just didn't really understand it all, but this time was different. And just like I thought, she was so excited and could not wait to hold her.

This is how we spent our day. I will never forget it. Just Reagan, Hayden and I, the girls. Reagan had a bag of snacks, colors, crafts and things to keep her busy, but I am not sure that she even touched that bag. The only thing she wanted to do was hold her new baby sister.

Around 5pm, one of the staff members came in and said that Reagan had to go, I needed to rest and that I needed to call a ride for her. Maybe it was my hormones, but I was furious. She was not nice, she was very rude and to the point. She did not ask how I was feeling or care to know about our situation. I almost snapped. I think if the staff was a little more caring or helpful, it would have been a different story, but since I felt the staff was not very friendly, I was upset. I spent that evening and the whole next day alone with Hayden. It was too much to bring both Reagan and Grayson up there for a little while and then leave. It was hard getting Reagan to leave the evening before and we just didn't think it was a good idea to do it again. 

That Saturday was long and depressing. No family, no friends, no TV just Hayden and I. The nurses and staff do not come in to check on you. I had no pain meads and I was feeling strong contractions every time I fed her. They don't give you an IV here so once you deliver the post delivery stuff is all natural as well. I asked for something for the pain and they gave me 2 pills that are store bought over the counter type meds, like taking 2 ibuprofen's. The food was horrible, cold cuts and a hard boiled egg for every meal. Which you have to walk to get, no help to the bathroom or to a shower, nothing. All I wanted to to was just go home and be with my family. 

That night was pretty rough. I hadn't slept and I couldn't get Hayden to stop screaming. I finally decided around 4am to call a nurse and ask for some help. She offered to take her into their office for a few hours so I could sleep and she would bring her back in once she woke.

I woke up around 8 Sunday morning and went to get her. We were scheduled to have a check up by the peditrition and a hearing test and once those were completed we could go home. I got showered and all packed up by 9, I could not wait for it to all be over with so I could leave! Darrin brought Reagan and Grayson up to the hospital and finally we were all together again.

As I think back to that weekend I just tear up. It was such a special weekend, but so trying at the same time. Living out of the country has its advantages and disadvantages and this weekend was one of the hardest times yet. Darrin never ceases to amaze me and I am so in love the the husband/Daddy he is. Baby girl and I were home and we were ready to celebrate Christmas together as a family of 5.