Hormonal at the Hospital

Photo Credit: Karolina Grabowska

The previous few blog posts were talking about things that happened many years ago, and certainly before I became a Mom. Today, let's fast forward: 

I had just given birth. Actually, let's rewind to when the pregnancy test was positive in January 2008. The very next day, hubby and I raced to the baby equipment store and went crazy.

Just kidding. 

We didn't do so until I was about seven months pregnant. 

I don't even know what made us visit that particular store. We had no experience. All our friends who had kids, had theirs years ago, we literally didn't know any other first time parents-to-be.

So, the store was called Nuggi-Huus, whiich is Swiss German for "House of Pacifiers". Sort of cute. It was a bit overwhelming, we didn't know where to start, so we thought it would be best to focus on the basics: stroller, crib and baby changing station. 

My husband didn't feel too much at ease in there and was happy when a sales assistant showed him different types of strollers. Wheels, brakes, safety features better spoke to him than an enormous amount of pink and light blue clothes, bottles and toys.

We ended up ordering three big ticket items that day. Frankly I had expected to be able to actually purchase and assemble them that very day. Who knew that just like a new car, your baby stroller also had a delivery time of several weeks?

Things went well for the stroller. We got a phone call just around the announced date in late August, and as we picked up our baby's new vehicle, we asked about the changing station and the crib. 

"They are being manufactured as we speak and should arrive here next week or the week after."

As long as the delivery date for the furniture was prior to the delivery date for our baby, which was predicted to be September 18, I was not worried.

When the store people didn't contact me the week after, I called. 

"It'll be here any day, don't worry, we've been working with them for years, they always deliver."

I was getting antsy. I was heavily pregnant and didn't feel comfortable driving to the store and loading the things into my car by myself. 

By the end of the pregnancy I reduced my working hours and spent some time home alone, trying to get ready, so I was really hoping they were going to call before the weekend, so hubby and I could go together. 

The call didn't come, but the night leading up to Friday, September 12, I experienced some contractions. Oh my goodness! I didn't think about the fact that I didn't have a crib yet, I was having my baby! We called the hospital, and they told us to come in.

By the time we arrived, the contractions were gone. They did an ultrasound and everything looked fine, but the birth was not going to happen today.

Something that wasn't going to happen that day either, was the furniture delivery. 

The store people kept stalling us, and even then, I wasn't worried. 

After dinner, on Tuesday, September 16, I experienced some contractions, and I could tell - this time they were the real thing! Again, we drove to the hospital, and in the early afternoon of September 17, our baby boy Colin was born.

It had been a difficult birth, I had lost a lot of blood, and I was super exhausted and weak. The nurses took great care of me, and as I was feeling better,  thanks to two units of blood, I thought this was so convenient. Everything was taken care of. I got meals delivered to my bedside, they bathed and changed my baby since I wasn't allowed to get up just yet, they helped me to get the hang of nursing,...

All of a sudden my happy bubble burst. I became aware that at some point I was going to have to leave and go home. I had to make my own meals, I had to bathe and change the baby, I had to manage breastfeeding on my own. It was going to be so much work!

It was then when it also hit me that baby Colin's room wasn't ready. 

My crib! My changing table! 

I grabbed my phone and called the store.

By then it must have been September 20 or later. No more stalling. 

I had a very unpleasant phone call with the sales person. To be fair, the phone call was probably even more unpleasant for the sales person than for me.

Usually I am a balanced and friendly person. I try to find solutions and let other people save face.

Not that day though. I probably didn't yell at her, but I was very determined and not willing to compromise. I wanted my stuff, and I wanted it now!!

I remember telling her "my baby is not going to sleep on the floor!" 

She confessed that for some reason my order had never been placed with the manufacturer. It ws going to take another six to eight weeks. In the meantime she suggested that I come in and get the changing mat. It was available at the store.

"Lady, I've just given birth to a 4180 gram (9+ pounds) baby, I still have a urinary catheter, I can't get up, much less get anything at the store, just send it to my home address and send it today!"

She thought this was a good time to tell me that they don't usually ship items, and that extra costs were going to apply, and I snapped.

"Shipping costs? You've got to be freaking kidding me??? You messed up our entire order, keep telling us to be patient, and today I'm looking at my sweet newborn who is going to have to sleep on the floor or in the bathtub or God knows where, and you want to charge shipping costs for a lousy changing mat?"

I think this is when she got her supervisor.

The supervisor was more diplomatic but not much of a problem solver either. 

By that time I had calmed down and was more or less back to my solution oriented self.

I pretty much told her what to do: 

Back in June when we were there for the first time, we actually saw the crib and the changing table. Even though those were their display models, she was going to have then delivered to and assembled at my house. She was throwing in the changing mat, and she was giving me a discount.

Boom.

The next day hubby took time off work to be at home for the baby furniture delivery.

I was pleased with myself. Call me Lion Mama... Rooooaaaaaar!

This is Baby Colin, about two months old, enjoying his crib. I said enjoying, not sleeping in. He was a wonderful baby, developing nicely, but sleeping was not his strong suit. Not in the crib, anyway. He preferred the stroller. I wonder why. Was the crib cursed?

So, furniture deliveries. I'm sure you've experienced the odd hiccup over the course of the years. Tell me the store people didn't mess up your baby's crib order though!