What is amniotic fluid made of and where does it come from?

Fetal urine is the main component of the amniotic fluid that bathes the developing fetus.

It is excreted into the fetal sac inside the womb as the fetus develops. Normally, the fetus “breathes” this fluid into its lungs, and it is essential for the normal development of the lungs.

The fluid contains some fetal cells, which can be drawn out in the process called amniocentesis and analyzed to find out whether the fetus has some genetic diseases.