Inside a pregnant woman’s uterus is an amniotic sac,
which contains amniotic fluid and the growing fetus.
The amniotic fluid is important for several reasons --
it helps keep the baby warm, and because his body parts
are growing so fast, the fluid provides lubrication
that keeps them from growing together. In some cases,
fingers and toes can become webbed as a result of not enough
amniotic fluid circulating in the uterus.
The amniotic fluid also lets the baby move easily so he can
exercise his muscles and strengthen his bones before he’s born.
In addition, it acts like a liquid shock absorber for the baby
by distributing any force that may push on the mother’s uterus.
Even sex won’t hurt the baby.
Amniotic fluid is 98% water and 2% salts and cells from the baby.
Until the fetal kidneys started working during month four,
amniotic fluid is made by the mother’s body.
But after month 4, the little guy started to make his contribution
to the amniotic fluid by urinating in it.
You heard right. It may not sound appealing to us,
but the urine in the amniotic sac is completely harmless to the baby.
The baby swallows amniotic fluid, which then passes through his
digestive system, into his kidneys, and back out again to the
amniotic sac as urine. In this way, he can practice using his
digestive and urinary systems before he’s even born.
In fact, doctors can tell by the amount of amniotic fluid
whether the baby has difficulty with his swallowing reflex.
By the time he’s born,
he will consume up to 13 ounces of amniotic fluid a day.