So waking up this morning, only 4 days away from being 8Weeks pregnant and only 2 weeks (which feels like forever) until my very first ultrasound I've been so curious to know a couple things...

1. How far along will I have to be to know the gender of my baby? I can't help but to go online and already start looking at clothes and nurseries, it's my 1st child so I'm overly excited! I hear you find out at 4 months which would be a little less than a month after my 1st ultrasound so does that mean you find out by your 2nd ultrasound?

2. What all happens during your 1st ultrasound? Do you really go through a full physical, pap smear, & breast exam? My midwife told me nothing about what would happen during my first appointment but I don't want any surprises lol and Does your due date normally change after the 1st appointment?

3. Does it REALLY get better in the 2nd trimester? That's all people keep telling me but right now, I don't see how things could get better when I'm going to get HUGE so I figure that'll just bring more pain

U will find out at ur 20 week scan what the sex is, u can pay for a private scan from 16/17 weeks tho, at ur first scan u will have to drink lots of water, they don't do a breast exam or an internal, it's just a dating scan at 12 weeks usually n at 20 weeks it's more detailed, eg looking at baby's organs etc, n it does get better in the 2nd trimester, iv had 3 children so anything else u want to know just ask.x

Well at least the water thing I can handle, I've been drinking at minimum 6 glasses of water a day. I'm glad to know they won't be picking and prying at me too much, I was nervous about that! Sense it gets better in the 2nd trimester, how's the 3rd trimester typically? and everyone keeps saying I'm going to get stretch marks everywhere which I am not prepared for! I have 2 tattoos on my belly lol

I'm not going to lie,lol u will be tired n uncomfortable in 3rd trimester, as for stretch marks there r creams n stuff u can buy to minimise them, bio-oil is meant to be good.x

The tattoos on your belly will probably stretch - they won't look the same afterwards (a friend of mine has one next to her belly button and it doesn't look anywhere near the same) however I have one on my side/ribs and that's been fine. 

You MAY not get stretch marks at all - not everyone gets them - you just have to see. I didn't with my first pregnancy.

Have you seen your midwife yet for your booking in appointment? They take bloods, check a wee sample and give you information. At the 12 week scan if you choose to have the downs syndrome testing they will also take a blood test, your weight and height and during the scan they will need to take a specific measurement of the fluid behind baby's neck - but that's all done with the scanner. 

Your due date can change at your 12 week scan, as they measure baby and potentially change the dates on that but again it depends. For my first pregnancy it didn't change at all, this one I was over a week further on!

And generally people find the second trimester the easiest as a lot of the symptoms from early on (sickness, tiredness, bloating) has passed and you start to look pregnant but feel fine, and then in the third trimester is when you get uncomfortable and then start to get back a load of symptoms and things get more difficult. I'm 31 weeks now and just starting to struggle with bending and getting tired again (but then I'm also running around after a toddler this time!)

Hope that helps!