How much amniotic fluid should be around the baby?

What is amniotic fluid?

A water-like fluid surrounds the baby and protects it throughout pregnancy. It plays a fundamental role in the growth and development of the fetus, as it enhances the growth of the fetus's muscles, which swim in this fluid for nine months. It also enhances the growth of the lungs and digestive system. It is a protective cushion that protects the baby from external shocks. The fluid contains nutrients, hormones, and antibodies that the fetus swallows and excretes through urine. Although the image may seem a bit disgusting, swallowing and inhaling amniotic fluid is very healthy and beneficial for the fetus.

Benefits

• Protecting the fetus from infections.
• It supports the baby and enhances its movement inside the uterus.
• It protects the fetus from external shocks, such as the mother falling during pregnancy.
• It enhances the fetus's bones and muscles' growth to enable it to move freely.
• Protects the umbilical cord from compression. The umbilical cord is the lifeline that delivers oxygen and nutrients from the mother to the fetus, and it can shrink in the absence of amniotic fluid.
• It enhances the development of the respiratory and digestive systems of the baby, which swallows and inhales the fluid.
• It contains antibodies that boost the baby's immune system.
• Regulates the fetus' temperature.

How much amniotic fluid should be around the fetus?

An increase or decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid may cause health problems for the mother and the fetus. Therefore, one of the most important things the doctor monitors during pregnancy follow-up visits and ultrasound examinations is the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby. The normal amount of amniotic fluid is between 600 and 800 milliliters, depending on the weeks of pregnancy. Doctors also rely on the amniotic fluid index, which ranges between 5 and 24 centimeters during the different weeks of pregnancy.

Low amniotic fluid (Oligohydramnios)

If the amount of amniotic fluid is low during the first six months, this poses a greater risk and may increase the likelihood of miscarriage, deformities, or premature birth. In the later stages of pregnancy, the lack of fluid causes a slowdown in the growth of the fetus inside the uterus. Pressure on the umbilical cord prevents delivering oxygen and food to the fetus.

The causes of low amniotic fluid include:

• The continuation of pregnancy beyond the due date, i.e., after the end of the forty weeks of pregnancy.
• In about 37% of these cases, the cause is the early rupture of the amniotic fluid during the second or third trimester of pregnancy.
• Placental detachment from the uterine wall.
• Congenital malformations, especially in the baby's kidneys and urinary system.
• Twin pregnancy and the amniotic fluid maldistribution syndrome.
• Gestational hypertension.
• Gestational diabetes.
• Chromosomal abnormalities cause 10% of cases of amniotic fluid retraction.

If you have Oligohydramnios, you will be kept under observation; the doctors might perform medical interventions according to the case by treating the cause when it is discovered. In the event of a blockage in the kidneys, doctors may perform a surgical intervention to open the blockage during pregnancy. Or treat the condition you suffer from that caused the fluid to regress. Finally, if this does not pose a risk to the mother and the fetus, the treating physician may decide to induce labor or deliver the fetus through a c-section before the due date.

Too much amniotic fluid (Polyhydramnios)

This condition causes annoying symptoms for the pregnant mother, such as swelling in the feet, difficulty breathing, constipation, and pressure on the body organs adjacent to the uterus. The most prominent complications of this condition are premature birth, placental abruption, pregnancy bleeding, and stillbirth.

This condition occurs for the following reasons:

• Multiple pregnancy.
• Fetal spinal cord malformation or gastrointestinal obstruction.
• Gestational diabetes.
• Fetal abnormalities or infections.
• Fetal anemia usually occurs due to incompatibility of the mother's and fetus's blood types due to a difference in the RH factor.

If you have this condition, the doctor usually monitors the health of the fetus and your health, conducts further tests, and prescribes the appropriate treatment according to the case. This excess is usually treated by draining it surgically or with drug treatments.

If the fetus's growth is adequate, the doctor will induce labor or perform a c-section to deliver the fetus before the due date.

To sum up,

Usually, amniotic fluid does not occupy a large part of the pregnant mother's thoughts, although it plays a significant role in protecting the fetus during pregnancy. Expecting moms may suffer from an increase or decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid, and each condition has specific causes and treatment methods according to each case. If you notice that the size of your belly is not appropriate for the current stage of pregnancy, such as being too small or too large, or if you notice that your amniotic fluid has come out before the ninth month, or if you feel any abnormal symptoms, see your doctor immediately to assess your condition and prescribe appropriate treatment steps.