Amniotic fluid present at 11 weeks of pregnancy

Pregnancy is a very important thing for women. From the beginning of pregnancy, women feel nervous and happy, and they look forward to the healthy growth of the fetus every day. After pregnancy, a woman's abdomen will gradually become larger, and the amniotic fluid in the uterus will also increase, but is there amniotic fluid in the eleventh week of pregnancy? At this time, the uterus is already filled with amniotic fluid and the fetus is already formed.

At eleven weeks of pregnancy, there is amniotic fluid. The fetus is already formed at this time.

The amniotic sac appears at eight weeks of pregnancy, so amniotic fluid can appear after eight weeks, but there is no specific time of formation. You can do a Down syndrome screening between 14 and 19 weeks of pregnancy to rule out chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.

The fluid that fills the amniotic cavity is called amniotic fluid. The source, amount and composition of amniotic fluid vary with gestational age. In the early stages of pregnancy, amniotic fluid is mainly the dialysate of maternal serum that enters the amniotic cavity through the placenta, with a small amount seeping out from the surface of the placenta and the umbilical cord. When the fetal blood circulation is formed, the water and small molecules in the fetus' body can seep out through the fetal skin which has not yet been keratinized and form part of the amniotic fluid. The fetal kidneys already have excretion function at 11 to 14 weeks of pregnancy, so the urine excreted by the fetus after the second trimester is an important source of amniotic fluid.

During full-term pregnancy, the amount of amniotic fluid is 800 to 1000 ml. Amniotic fluid is a colorless, transparent alkaline liquid, of which more than 90% is water. It also contains minerals, urea, uric acid, creatinine, vernix caseosa and fetal epithelial cells. The amount of AFP in amniotic fluid can be used as an indicator to monitor whether the fetus has malformations. By detecting the chromosomes of fetal cells in amniotic fluid, the fetus can be screened for genetic diseases.

Function of amniotic fluid

1. Protect the fetus

A certain volume of amniotic fluid can provide the fetus with a larger range of movement, allowing the fetus to perform appropriate respiratory movements and limb movements in the fetal cavity, preventing joint fixation, limb deformities and fetal limb adhesions, which is beneficial to the development of the fetus.

2. Maintain a constant temperature in the uterus

Amniotic fluid can maintain a constant temperature in the uterine cavity, allowing the fetus's metabolic activities to proceed under normal and stable conditions.

3. It is beneficial to the balance of fetal body fluids

The fetus can rely on amniotic fluid to maintain its fluid balance. When there is too much water in the fetus' body, it can be discharged into the amniotic fluid in the form of fetal urine; when dehydrated, in addition to controlling water discharge, the fetus can also swallow amniotic fluid to compensate.

4. Buffer external pressure

Amniotic fluid has the function of balancing external pressure, which can significantly reduce the impact of external violence and protect the fetus. An appropriate amount of amniotic fluid can also prevent fetal hypoxia caused by direct compression of the uterine wall and fetus on the umbilical cord.

5. Role during labor

During labor, the uterus contracts and intrauterine pressure increases. The amniotic fluid can transmit pressure to the cervix, forming an anterior amniotic fluid sac before the fetal head is presented, dilating the internal and external cervical openings and vagina, and reducing damage to the cervix and vagina caused by direct compression of maternal tissue by the limbs for too long.