In Praise of Amniotic Fluid

The amazing gift of water completely surrounds us long before we draw our first breath. And the wonder of it all dazzled me afresh each time I watched one of my children being born!

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

Psalm 139:13-15 NLT

When my wife was in labor with our first daughter, her nurse, who was also a friend and a seasoned midwife, whispered to her after several fruitless hours of labor, ‘I’m going to break your water, that will get things moving.’
Within minutes the contractions accelerated, and a couple of hours later we held little Jennifer in our arms – and in our hearts ever since. Last week as she celebrated another birthday, I reminded her of her reluctance to leave her first warm, moist home.

Our second daughter, Joanna, is now a mother of four and a maternity nurse with her own collection of water breaking stories.

A mother’s placenta begins to produce water within hours of conception. That water nourishes and protects the infant until birth. As it grows, the fetus has to breathe this fluid into its lungs in order for them to develop normally. Amniotic fluid carries electrolytes, proteins, carbohydrates and other nutrients vital to healthy growing. It cushions the fetus from impact and heat loss and allows for easier movement within the womb.

A month before our son Jeff was due to be born, his protective amniotic sac ruptured while we were camping high in the Rocky Mountains. By the time we reached Foothills Hospital in Calgary, there wasn't a drop left. Without fluid, the doctors feared infection, but they also wanted to keep the baby gestating as long as possible.

The importance of water in our world, and the crisis that occurs when water is lacking are matters of global concern, but for us they were very personal. We felt the life-and-death implications of water shortage in a miniature way in those days of uncertainty. A week later Jeff was born -- premature but healthy, and he has grown to become a father himself.

Water is a vital matrix for the first nine months of our life.The time comes to leave
the matrix, but the essential life-giving gift of water never ends. The instructive lessons of water begin early and last a lifetime.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous — how well I know it.
Psalm 139:14



Image Source:
Fetus - Bill Casselman -