The more I know about all the changes that the body goes through during pregnancy, as well as the development of the baby in the womb, the more I am struck by how amazing the human body is. And now we share another fact that perhaps is not as well known or talked about.
Did you know that the baby urinates inside the uterus? Your urinary system begins to function inside the uterus, and thanks to an ultrasound we can observe the precise moment in which a baby pees inside the uterus .
How the baby’s urinary system works in the womb
In early pregnancy, the baby’s organs gradually form. By the 10th week of gestation, they have all formed and the heart, brain, liver, kidneys and intestines are working.
Between week 12 and week 13, that is, from the second trimester of pregnancy, the baby begins to take small sips of the amniotic fluid. This is absorbed and filtered, to later be released into the uterine space when the fetus urinates .
This amniotic fluid recycling process occurs roughly every three hours and the baby controls the volume of the fluid by compensating the rate of production (urinating) with the rate of elimination (swallowing).
After the 20th week of pregnancy, 90% of the amniotic fluid is made up of fetal urine . This might be a little weird, but it’s actually a good thing, because the presence of urine is an indicator that the baby’s kidneys have developed well and are working properly.
This is how the baby urinates inside the uterus
We already know how the baby’s urinary system begins to function inside the uterus, and as we mentioned at the beginning, now we can see it with our own eyes thanks to an ultrasound:
Video | Dr. Ümit Korucuoğlu (reproduced with express permission of the author)
In Babies and more | Polyhydramnios and oligohydramnios: too much or too little amniotic fluid in pregnancy
