WHAT IS AMNIOTIC FLUID?

Amniotic fluid is the fluid that is produced by the membranes of the fetus and the fetus. It is formed very early during pregnancy and surrounds the unborn baby throughout the pregnancy. The components of the amniotic fluid change as the pregnancy progresses.

The total amount of amniotic fluid increases till it is about one litre at the end of the thirty-sixth week of pregnancy. Thereafter the amount of amniotic fluid rapidly decreases and by the end of the forty-second week only about one to two hundred milliliters of the fluid remains.

Many women fear that their baby will be damaged if there is a direct blow upon the uterus or abdomen during pregnancy or there is a fall. This fear is baseless. This is because the amniotic fluid protects the baby from such events. Such injury or blow will also not cause congenital abnormalities in the baby.

AMNIOTIC FLUID - ADVANTAGES

• Provides a liquid environment for the baby to develop and move in a free manner.
• Prevents damage to the baby by acting as a shock absorber.
• Saves the developing baby from getting deformed by abnormal pressure from the walls of the uterus.
• Maintains normal temperature, facilitating baby’s normal growth and development.
• Provides the necessary constituents to the growing baby
• Helps the baby excrete urine and other waste products.
• Helps the baby develop swallowing and breathing mechanisms as the baby is constantly swallowing the amniotic fluid.