you'll have the option of having the triple screen to test your baby for birth defects. or, the odds of your baby having birth defects. i opted not to have it, because i didn't want to be paranoid for no reason & it wouldn't make a difference, anway. i'll love my son even if he were to have any defects.

you'll have to get a glucose screening test when you're around 28wks. they take blood, then make you drink a suuuuper sugary drink, & then take blood again. it's to test for gestational diabetes.

when you're aroung 36wks, you'll probably get tested for group b strep. it's like a pap smear, kind of. & .depending on your doctor, they might to start to check you to see if you're dilated around this time, too. but with that, they just shove a few fingers way up there & that's that.

the "needle" thing you're talking about is an amniocentesis, & there's no real need for that unless they find something really abnormal. there is a very very very slight risk. & .having one done is definitely not mandatory.

Okay that helped me out a lot. So they will only check me at 36 weeks to see if I am dilated? So .I don't have to worry about going to my appointments wondering what they're gunna do? I really want an ultrasound soon because the first one they gave me at 9 weeks only shown the head, she couldn't find the body, I guess. She only took pictures of the head because that's all we saw. That's normal right? So, I'd like an ultrasound soon. The appointments .I've been going to now are just checking the heartbeat and taking my blood pressure. Nothing big. I'm 12 weeks so hopefully .I'll have one soon.

i had an ultrasound at 6wks, & then i didn't have one again until i was 22wks. if you want to know the sex, it's better to have one in between 18-22wks. it's easier to see what the sex is if you wait until then. & .some doctors never check for dilation. or some wait until you're like 38wks to start checking. it just depends. your appointments are going to be super boring up until you're close to your due date. they just weight you, check blood pressure, listen to the heartbeat, & measure your uterus.

So .I can't ask to have an ultrasound? Because we only got to see the babies head and it kinda worried me cuz aren't you supposed to see the whole body? I know it was a lima bean by the time we saw it, but there are some ultrasounds that early where you can see the whole body. The doctor told me in .April .I'll get to see what the sex is of the baby. 1 1/2 more months

well, you can request one.. but i don't know if they'll give you one. or if they do, you'll have to pay for it, .i'm guessing. i'd just wait until you have the one in .april to find out the sex.