Pregnancy Info HOME

Karen- I was just diagnosed with Gallstones as well this past Sunday and I am 24 weeks along. I went to ER and they did an US and saw a ton of little pebbles (they said it looked like gravel) in my gallbladder but said it was not blocking anything and the stones were very small so I will hopefully make it through my pregnancy without having surgery until afterwards. I am on my 2nd pregnancy (I have a 2 yr. old now) and I had a C-section with my first so I will have another one with this one. I was wondering if you heard anything from your Dr. about if they can do the surgery at the same time they do the C-section? I am HOPING I can get it all done in one shot! I'm so scared of having another attack especially since I am a stay at home Mom and my 2 yr. old depends on me. Hope to hear from you soon. Wendy

hello everyone, my name is Amber and I am 38 weeks along, and I was very pleased to stumble on this forum. I have been surffering from gall bladder attacks since I was around 14 weeks along (it's been a long road!) Unfortunetly, for the longest time I thought there was just something going wrong with my back (I have had severe back problems) and I thought my back was just having a hard time adjusting to the changes that were going on in my body. I did go to the E.R. a few times but right when I would get to the hospital my attack would just stop, so I figured I didn't want to sit around and wait for a doctor to tell me it was my back and that is just something that I was going to have to deal with. When I was 28 weeks along I had had a severe attack and I was going to the OB the next day so I decided to discuss it with my doctor, she had me get labs drawn and go have a ultrasound that day wich showed I had multiple stones. They said that I would have to wait until my baby was born to have it removed unless it threatend my life. Well since then I have had several attacks, one that was so bad I went to the hospital (I was put on the OB floor) And they checked my liver funtion, amalyse, and something else and it showed I had Gallstone Induced pancreat_tis (i pa__sed a stone) I had to fast from everything even water for 24 hours and from food for 48 hours. My attacks have gotten more frequent the further along I have gotten, and the severity, much worse! I have been just told there is nothing they can do for me, and it is so discouraging. I was told that if I have an attack that I need to go to the hospital to make sure that I am not pa__sing another stone, (which I think they now regret) Last week I was in 5 or 6 times for attacks, one attack brought on after eating NOTHING. I have been told the last time I went in by one of the doctors in my OB practice (he is a jerk) that I just need to tough the attacks out, try tylenol and a heating pad, and only come in if it is the worst attack I have ever had in my life, and if it isn't a fruit or vegetable, not to put it in my mouth. They keep on wanting to know what I am eating that I shouldn't be, they don't believe that I AM following my diet fully! I am 38 weeks pregnant, haven't gained a pound, but lost 40!!! (the baby is great size though) To try and make a long story a little shorter I had an amniocentisis done a week ago to see if the babys lungs were mature enough to induce, they weren't so we have been waiting, and the good news is we are going to have our baby this thursday, they are inducing the 26th!! And they are schedualing my surgery one week from that. And oh boy I have made a list of all the things that I want to eat! I wouldn't wish an attack on my worst enemy and I want to wish all the luck to everyone suffering from these horrible attacks! Good luck to all! Amber

Hi everyone, I posted on this a few weeks back and just wanted to update everyone on what has happened since. Well I was getting attacks daily, somtimes twice in one day. By the way these started around my 20th week of pregnancy and they just had me on the special diet and pain killers. Well eventually after 3 admits to the ob my general surgeon said that I am dehydrated and the gallbladder needed to come out. This was last Thursday. I was at the end of my 26th week of pregnacy as wasn't thrilled about having surgery being preganant especially open gall bladder surgery under general anesthesia. But I did it and they found a stone that was lodged but irregular shaped just enough that the bile could pa__s but I would get attacks dailiy. That was why i wasnt' getting infections, because my bile had just enough room to get through but worked a lot harder. I am almost a week out of surgery and recovery is going pretty well. I was in the hospital for 3 nights and 4 days and haven't had any pain killers except tylenol since Ive been home. I am just really sore and tired and the incision can get quite annoying, but I honestly have to say that even after they brought me out of the recovery room and I was in intense pain, but gall bladder attacks were worse. So I feel for all of you and am really relieved that mine is gone and the baby is doing really well and i can enjoy my last 3 months of pregnancy. I have a question for TAMI, did you have diarrhea after your surgery, and if so how long did it last? Thanks

I had my surgery after having my baby,but it is common to have diarreah after the surgery.It's been 2 months for me and I still get an upset stomach (not daily).I am scheduling another visit to the surgeon,my abdominal area still swells up,especially after eating something fatty.(I don't do that very often). It can take a while before your body can handle all types of food,especially in my case,I suffered for 8.5 montrhs,was diagnosed in early second trimester and had a c-section after being induced.Not trying to be negative,but don't expect right away for everything to be great after surgery......mine was like gravel too!!

Amber,I wish you the best of lucks with your induction next thursday!!! let us know how everything went!!! And if it helps,even knowing what I've gone through,I would do it all over again for my little man!!! And all the other ladies,hope everything goes well,gallstone attacks are horrible,but remember...it will not last forever!! And all of you have a precious baby waiting for you !!!

Hi all~ This forum has helped me out a lot as far as what to possibly expect. I have been attack free since my last attack (2 weeks ago) and feel totally normal. I am PRAYING that I will get through the last 14 weeks without an attack. I keep seeing though that the farther along you get, the more frequent the attacks get, so I'm kind of worried about that. Is there anyone who had one attack and no more after that until their baby was born?

Not to be negative,but I have had the same,my first attack was march 2, (16 weeks pregnant) my second attack was march 30 ,in April I had 0 attacks,I really thought I wouldn't have any,in May I had 3 and the rest I will spare you. I think it will also depend on how many stones you have,where they are ,your diet,stress,and the baby kicking against the gallbladder.Make sure you get painkillers from your doctor,my baby (5.5 months now) is doing great!!!! So they will not harm you/baby.I also had Levsin,it helped with the attacks (relaxes the gallbladder). Even if you are attack free,stick to the diet.I wish you a lot of luck and keep me up to date.

Thanks for the info. I am 25 weeks along and hoping and praying I will be spared, but only time will tell. I am sticking to my diet and actually losing weight but the Dr. said as long as the baby is growing, its fine. I was never given any meds to calm my gallbladder down except they said i can take Zantac which is an antacid. When I went to the specialist he wasn't sure why they said to take that because its not heartburn or indigestion, its gallstones. So he said to stop taking that and did not give me a different med to take. When you had your following attacks, were they triggered by eating badly or was it something like you said with the baby kicking your gallbladder? I have no idea how many stones I have, I just know there are a bunch of tiny stones that look like gravel. I guess its better than large ones? Not sure though. Thanks for your input and advise, I really appreciate it.

I found that some doctors are willing to perform the surgery where the gallbladder is removed at the same time as a c-section. I know that my doctor wants o wait a day or two after my c-section. Hope all goes well with everyone

Hey everyone. Sorry, i have a fussy little girl so I've been having a hard time getting on lately! Courtney-I didn't have diarrhea after the surgery, but I threw up for a few months after. Not that I really noticed any difference there becuase I started throwing up the day I got pregnant and it never ended, so I am not sure it was the pregnancy or the surgery. I did notice that I couldn't really eat fatty foods though or I got sicker. I think that it is normal to have upset stomach problems after the surgery so I would worry too much. I just kept trying to eat healthy foods anyways like fruits and vegetable and I noticed that the nausea wasn't quite as bad! Wendy-I hope that you get through the pregnancy attack free as well! I haven't met anyone yet though who has-not to be negative! I stuck to my diet and still had to have it out it got so bad, but hopefully you will be different! Shelly went the whole time-she is one tough lady, so I am sure you can do it. Hope everyone else is doing great and is attack free! I will talk later.

Hi Everyone- Karen, thanks for the info. I just saw my OB and she said they will not do the C-section and the gallbladder removal at the same time. She said the gallbladder carries lots of bacteria and they wouldn't want it to get to my uterus or the baby (althought I would a__sume the baby would come out first, but who knows?) I was told that they would like to wait 2-3 months after I have my baby to do the surgery because they would like me to be pretty much healed from the C-section. So, that pretty much means I have 6 months more of possible having another attack. :( Tami- thanks for the luck. I need it. I am sticking to my diet and feel great so far (knock-on-wood). Did you have yours out while you were still pregnant then?

Hey Wendy-how are you doing? Yes, I had my gallbladder out during pregnancy. I was 25 weeks along. I had a stone get lodged in a duct and it started to effect my liver-I turned yellow even! They decided they had to get it out becuase it was getting dangerous, so they did open surgery. Everything was fine-although I did go into preterm labor, but they stopped it and I went overdue eventually and had a healthy little girl.

Hi! I'm only 12 weeks pregnant and under investigation for gallstones. I had severe abdominal pain and was in the ER the other night. How often did you have an attack?

Hi- Tami: Thanks for the info. I hope not to go through what you did but you sound like a real trooper. I'm so happy you got a healthy little girl out of this whole thing. I too am having a girl. I wonder if it happens more in women who are having girls? Just a thought. Sandie: I had one major attack on Jan. 15th and nothing since. I am 26 weeks tomorrow and I am hoping not to have any more attacks. How are they investigating your problem? Did they take an ultrasound of your gallbladder? Thats what they did for me at the hospital and they immediately saw the stones. Good luck and I hope it comes back that you don't have any.

Hello ladies, I am still adjusting to having a new baby and thus have little to zero free time. I'm sure everyone can understand. Its funny how I look forward to Dr. appt. because its kind of a little break from all the babies. I just got the results from my pap, and luckily it is still displasia?sp? and all of it is getting cut out next week. Pain after Pain. Well I hope everyone is doing well and the babies are growing healthy because it won't be long before its all over. It seems like so long ago I was going through all the drama.

Hello everyone... Well I have a very healthy baby boy! He was born last Thursday, the 26th after only 3 hours and 52 min. of labor! (thank God!) It was a wonderful experience, I got to the hospital at 7:30am, the time my induction was set for, at 8:15 my doctor broke my water and at 12:04 I was a mommy! The doctor had to sprint to my room, and didn't even get her gown and gloves on all the way, the nurses almost delivered him! 7lbs. 6oz, 19 1/2" long. They kept telling me that he might end up in the NICU because of the way his amnio looked a week and a half before I was induced, but he came out screaming, proving them all wrong! I ended up losing 37lbs during my pregnancy from the NO fat diet that they had me on, and since my baby (Logan) was born I have lost another 22 lbs. ( I was very overweight to begin with) I have been attack free for a little over 2 weeks. I went to see my surgeon and he wants me to wait at least 4 weeks to have my gallbladder out, so that it can for sure be done lap. He told me that he expected the attacks to slow down after the baby was born, but then again I haven't ate anything to give it a chance to flair up! To look at things on the bright side, I almost have all the weight off I always wanted. Just wanted to let everyone know that I will be praying for everyone, I wouldn't wish an attack on my worst enemy! Amber