Jesse and Marissa: Corbin's Birth Story!

I wanted to hurry and write his birth story down before I forget even more. Especially with this lack of sleep my brain seems to be losing it! :) And the fact that he is sleeping right now...on my chest but I can type this one handed. It might be a little too much information for some people but I guess this is the warning. And it will probably be long but I want to remember!

Well, as some people know, I thought I would try to plan it all out of when I would have our baby so it would be somewhat convenient for Jesse since I didn't want him to miss school and I wanted to have our baby before we moved down to Kaysville-even though some people told me that having everything moved before the baby would have maybe been easier. For at least the past month I have been telling everyone we were going to have him May 25th-mostly joking but thinking if I put my mind to it and do the things that put you into labor there wold be the slightest possibility...

Monday early morning that week I started having some pretty bad cramping but it felt more like bowel cramping but it started getting worse and it was off and on so there was a possibility it could be the start of labor...basically I was in the bathroom all morning. I looked on the internet and read that it could be a sign of the beginning of labor. Finally mid morning I started feeling better and I called my doctors office just to kinda let them know and see if I needed to do anything. They wanted me to come in and get checked and make sure everything was OK and if it was maybe the beginning of labor-I was pretty sure it wasn't but I knew it would be nice to be reassured. We went in and they checked me and I was dilated a little more but the doctor thought it was probably gastroentrotitis because a few other woman had gone in that same day for it. They told me to go home and just take it easy and stay hydrated and basically that I could go into labor that night or in 2 weeks-you just never know. I knew I could not choose when but I laid around the next few days not doing much because I didn't want to go into labor quite yet.

Come Thursday I decided that I could probably get things started if I wanted to have the baby that weekend (Friday preferably.. (: ) We have all heard what some people think put you into labor so I decided I would try some of them out that day. That afternoon I went to the park with my nephew Max and climbed and bounced around..no cramping or any sign at all. For dinner I made asian chicken but put some extra red pepper flakes to maybe make the food more spicy...That evening I decided while Jesse was at the school doing home work I walked around campus. I walked the long stairs on Old Main Hill. Then being the slightly paranoid pregnant lady I realized I didn't know the last time I felt him move and my stomach was kinda hard from walking around, so i decided to lay down for a bit on the grass. It was actually quite nice just relaxing there-with the view of the temple. And I might have had a small moment with my little man and told him its OK to come out-and tomorrow is the day :) That night I had Jesse give me a good foot massage...

Friday morning I woke up with a little bit of cramping but the last month of pregnancy I have felt some off and on so nothing really new. But in my head I wanted today to be the day! Jesse family was planning on going up to the cabin for the holiday weekend so we planned on going with them...but in my head I just kept saying we are not going...I pretty much had it set in my mind I wanted to have our baby that weekend! But then again I knew that I was setting myself up for disappointment especially if it comes June and I still did not have the baby! That is a hard thing the end of pregnancy not knowing when your baby is coming for sure!

I took Jesse to school in the morning then came home and walked around our small apartment, did some squats, a few jumping jacks...then kinda just laughed at myself. Jesse came home and we sat on the couch and we didn't have anything to do...so we decided to go lay down in bed and relax. Shortly after around 9:30 I started feeling like I was cramping quite bad..and Jesse was asleep. They started getting worse and thats when Jesse noticed. From my experience on Monday morning we didn't know what to think. I started to pay attention to how often I was having them. It was about every 3-5 minutes but kinda inconsistent. Some hurt more than others. Around 11 my Dad randomly text me-he is out of town-but he asked me how I was doing..he said he just had a feeling that morning to text me. I just told him I was cramping kinda bad because I still didn't know what to think at this point. I finally decided to call my mom around 12:30-I don't know why because she has not experience any of the same symptoms of pregnancy it seems like-ha! While I was on the phone with her I had a few contractions and she told me I needed to go to the hospital to get checked-she was sure I was in labor. I didn't want to go and be disappointed and sent home but decided I really needed to when I could not even get myself dressed.

We got checked in around 1:30 and I was dilated between a 4-5 and 100% effaced with my bags of waters bulging and the baby's head engaged-that was the first time I was told the baby was not so far up! I was hooked up to all the monitors-which I hated I felt so uncomfortable in that bed. The nurse asked me what kind of pain measurements I wanted and at that point I told her it depends. Jesse, knowing what we had talked about me wanting, told her I wanted to try to go natural but I am not opposed to an epidural. Every contraction I had I thought of the P.A.I.N. acronym we learned. I said to myself this is P-purposeful A-anticipated I-intermittent N-normal. I felt like it helped a little to remind myself. About an hour later she checked me again and I was at a 7, the contractions were getting a lot worse at this point. She then asked me what I wanted to do about my pain she obviously knew I was in ALOT of pain. I felt that since I had progressed pretty quickly that maybe I would continue to and didn't want to give up on going natural if I was so close. BUT I was in SO much pain! I can't quite tell you why I had such a desire to try to go natural. I think its because my mom did with all 4 girls and my sister did as well-so I wanted to see if I could. The part of me that likes to see if I can do hard things I guess! I decided to have her give me the smallest amount possible of IV pain med. It basically made me feel a little loopy but I can't say it took much of the pain off. Jesse would reassure me that we were going to see our little baby boy real soon! At that point I got a little emotional! Shortly after she came in again and checked me and I was at a 9! She said she was going to call the doctor and when he broke my bags of water it would probably go really quick from there. Well within a few minutes of excruciating painful contractions my bags of waters broke spontaneously. Jesse quickly told the nurse. I started feeling the urge to push and didn't know my body would basically not give me a choice. Within a few minutes the doctor was there and through the next couple contractions I pushed. I said multiple times out loud that I could not do it anymore! I didn't think my body was capable of doing something like that! Jesse was the best support/coach. He sat there and held my hand through each contraction as I wanted to die!Jesse said I pushed around 4 times..I say it was around closer to 10ish. Either way it was a lot to handle at the time but I know the baby did come out quite fast. When the baby did come out the flood of emotions that come upon me right after were indescribable. I cried tears of joy that I could see my little baby boy! and that I Did It! It was all over! (well of course it wasn't the end of having some pain-but at least the hardest part was over) Jesse was able to cut the cord which was a surprise to me! We talked about how he would probably just have to stand at the top of the bed because he does not do well with any type of blood or things like that! He did so well through it all though! I could not have done it with out him! They cleaned him up and then I cuddled with my baby boy on my chest for the next little while! It's one of my favorite things now, just to have him lay on me! He is the sweetest baby boy especially when he is sleeping like that! :) And I must add he is already an obedient child for coming when I asked...He must already love his parents, or Heavenly Father knew that really that was the best time for us!

Corbin Blaine Jensen: Born at 3:50 pm 6 lbs 15 oz 18.5 inches!