Due February 2016

@STK, the gender reveal party sounds like fun ! Pretty sure we wouldn't be able to hold out on knowing though, and our doctor is just dying to tell us But maybe still something to do ourselves like cupcakes with coloured filling.

@BabyT, think there's been a culture the past 20+ years of women opting for c-sections (for various reasons), but that seems to be changing and the doctors who are more open to discussion of your choices are coming in high demand. The rest better wise up! Though I suppose babies are born every day and even the docs who only want to do C-sections will still be in business.

I've decided I'd like to try natural, but if I go far over due I will rather opt for a C-scetion than induction. I know too many people who have had inductions who ended up having a cesar anyway after hours of labour. Have heard of a few good outcomes, but don't think I would cope well with an induction.

@Mother Niki - so glad you're feeling a little better!

I must say I'm starting to feel normal again, not as tired and just generally better than the last few months.

I am in Cape Town and would really have liked a home birth but hubby is not comfortable with that. I hate the idea of being in a hospital with strangers around during quite an intimate occasion. I have seen that the Origin Maternity centre (or something along those lines) is opening in Panorama in November this year. It would be something like the Genesis clinic in JHB I think. It sounds fantastic but I have no idea what the costs would be.

I have signed up to attend the Hypno-birthing antenatal classes as I would like to try to have a drug free birth and really think that relaxation and calmness is key to that.

I started on the nursery this weekend. It was our laundry room/spare storage room so not too much to move out. I have primed and painted one coat on the inside of the cupboards so far. They were raw chipboard inside so had to be done. Going to paint them white and the walls a light grey so will be white, grey and blue I guess.

Also back at my pilates/yoga classes which is great.

Hope you all have a lovely evening

Thanks everyone, my leg is much better. I went to the hospital late on Friday because i wasn't coping but its much better now, I even managed a full day at work in heels

Sooooo, we went for our monthly gynae visit yesterday and it was AMAZING. the scan was so good, we basically saw our little ones face and he/she was scratching his/her head...looks like we're getting a thinker. It's great that our little bean is becoming and actual human being!!! The Dr told us what he saw gender wise but wouldn't confirm 100% because the little legs were crossed. Guess we'll have wait for next month

@Bumblebee, I must say that I also sometimes still gag when brushing teeth, but I think its not so much morning sickness than just having a little bit more sensitive constitution 16 weeks once sounded so far away, and now its around the corner.

I feel exactly the same as you in terms of doctors trying to force their preferences on you, the least they can do is to give you a fair chance at what ever route you choose and then if that doesn't work out, they can do what is required to ensure baby and mom is save - its just easier to schedule a appointment than to wait for baby to arrive on his or her own time.

STK, I can not wait to start either, but we are not so much waiting for the gender to be revealed then just getting the time to clear out the spare bedroom - we have been staying in our house for nearly 6 years and we used the cupboards in both our spare bedrooms for storage of all our extra clothes, linnen, crockery etc etc and to completely clean out one of the room is going to be a massive task that we are planning to kick off this weekend.

We have decided on grey and turquoise as a colour theme, and then depending on if its a boy or a girl adding blue or pink

The gender reveal party sounds awesome, only one thing I would change is I would want to know before everyone else (hahahaha, I am getting to excited about this little life, to still be able to wait with the rest of the family for the reveal )

But I think I might borrow your idea and get cupcakes for the family with either blue or pink filling.....

I must agree with BabyT - I cant believe how quickly the first trimester went by... and I must say my energy levels are back to normal and I feel human again.
We actually cant wait to start with the nursery (just want to find out first what we having ). But we are having one of those gender reveal parties - nothing big though - just family. Where we have the doctor write in an envelope what the gender is and then we give it to the baker that bakes a plain white cake and then the filling is either pink or blue. Its a rather cute way to share the moment with family and close friends.

Has anyone else started with their nursery's?

@BabyT, we don't seem to have a whole lot of options here - especially if you're watching your purse strings, so I haven't been too specific in my requests yet. In Cape Town it seems you either go Government or private and it's mainly in a hospital setting - and asking for something like a water birth is fairly uncommon, though it is possible.

I did mention that I would like a natural birth (with an epidural) if at all possible and he was happy to accommodate me provided all goes well with the pregnancy. My previous doc at the same hospital interrupted me mid sentence and said 'giving birth naturally is like sitting on a cactus you know' - ended that conversation right there. I at least want options and not be forced into something.

We were also considering stem cell collection and I mentioned this to him. He said he didn't believe in it personally and gave me a couple reasons why, but said if it's what I want he will happily do it for me.

Symptoms-wise, I still gag in the shower every morning and when brushing my teeth Not nauseous at all anymore, just this annoying gagging whenever I want to gargle. And still pretty tired, but doc said that'll go away by 16 weeks.

@Bumblebee, what is those requests from the doctor / hospital that you have?

I must say I am quite surprised by the number of ladies that are considering the normal birth route - will be a nice little support system closer to the time Though I am very pro choice and to each their own, as long as our babies are all happy and healthy by the end of it all

Cant believe how the first trimester have flown by - scares me a little thinking of how the time will fly to Feb 2016 - eek!!!!

Apparently we are all in the best part of pregnancy right now - and I must say I feel like a million bucks

Has all the symptoms passed now for all the ladies in here or is anyone still struggling?