Gallstones…. very common in pregnancy. Did you experience them?
One of our mum asks: ” I am 32 weeks pregnant and have just found out I have gallstones. I was wondering if you could ask your followers for some advice as I’m getting attacks at least twice a day I don’t eat much fatty foods and am trying to cut out as much as I can and was wondering if anyone else has been thru this and may have done advice.”
Here is what other mums on our Facebook page have shared in reply:
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Ouch I feel your pain! I had them my last pregnancy and the pain to me was worse than childbirth! I had to work out what the triggers were as I didn’t have a bad diet either, for me it was dairy and eggs, I can eat them now a couple yours later and haven’t had an attack in yours, your best bet is to find the triggers for you and avoid them at all costs, good luck!
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Yip been there. Agree you have to figure out your triggers. Diary products were mine even small amounts.
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Surgeon suggested to me to stop eating lettuce as he has found that is a common thing to cause attacks… Unfortunately I have found even a glass of water can set me off… good luck!
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I too feel your pain – I got them about 6 weeks after giving birth and had no luck finding the triggers – even not eating didn’t stop them. I ended up in hospital for 2 weeks with a stone blocking my bile duct and jaundiced. the procedure to unblock it then gave me acute pancreatitis!! Had to wait about 5 months for surgery with attacks every few days and in and out of hospital. Also was trying to work as the main income earner for my family – very stressful!! After my surgery a stone that was left behind got stuck in my bile duct again!! Since then no more attacks but still have to be very careful of what I eat or end up feeling quite unwell
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Omg I got that at 7 months pregnant and my life was over – that’s what it felt like all I could eat and drink I’m not joking was plain rice and water no juice no flavourings nothing plain rice and water was all that worked and I ate that till my daughter was 7 months when I finally got my operation nothing but bare with it hot water bottle panadol is all I can say egg whites are fine but yolks would set a good attack off was awful pain is definitely worse than childbirth
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Yes! I had them last pregnant and all I can do is sympathise as it was hell on earth! I had the gall bladder out at 6 weeks post partum and it was a very good idea, as I’m now 34 weeks with number two and had a much easier pregnancy.
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I got severe attacks after the birth of my first child and they said there were so many stones and it was in a bad way so had emergency surgery to remove them. I found nothing helped with the pain at the time and no matter what I did or ate I would get attacks. Just make sure if it gets bad you pack massive dramas to your doctor so that they do something about it.
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are you sure it’s gall stones? I had quite bad pain (toward end of pregnancy) and they thought it was gall stones but after an ultrasound they found that it was just baby didn’t have much room and kicking my diaphragm which was helped by a chiropractor releasing it.
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Yep I got them 6wks after having my son and my only option was having my gallbladder out! Cold water and dairy used to set off the attacks for me. I hope it calms down for you asap and ask your doctor bout possible removal post partum so you can go on the waiting list now
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I had them in my last pregnancy too that resulted in surgery. Try taking digestive enzymes to help digest your food. Also milk thistle to support your liver and help process the hormones. Apple cider vinegar (tablespoon in a shot of water) also helps and takes the pressure off your gall bladder. Add turmeric to your food (anti-inflammatory and liver support). Hope that helps
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Yip ouchy! I was operated on at 25 weeks pregnant to have it removed after only one attack so unfortunately have no advise but I really hop you are feeling better soon and they can operate once baby is born and the wait is not too long.
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I had really bad gall bladder pain for a night and I drank water with apple cider vinegar in it constantly (probably a litre in two hours, and the a glass an hour for the rest of the day), the pain subsided and never came back. I think mine was linked to dehydration though. I have a history of gall bladder pain, but never confirmed I have stones. Hope that you get some help
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I had mine out after many hospital trips at 22 weeks in the end what I ate made no difference – hormones of pregnancy are the main trigger. Good luck hope it settles. Only advice I have is don’t just write off all pain as the stones, I was in labour and was blaming the operation scars, my midwife said she had a few woman not link labour pains to what they were feeling because they had been putting up with gallbladders that were rumbling or attacking.
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I had undiagnosed gallstones for years but it was really horrible through my third pregnancy i kept thinking something was really wrong as i was in constant pain. i had been to doctors and was told it was constipation, which is wasn’t!! I ended up in hospital when my daughter was 5 months old with a hepatic liver and the worst pain I would rather go through childbirth. i had my gallbladder removed and feel the best i have in years but looking back i realise that the food that triggered my attacks where onions, leeks, cabbage and anything dairy.
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Ouch, worst pain ever…definitely worse than childbirth. I started getting attacks when I was pregnant with number 3. Rushed to hospital twice before they worked out what it was. Luckily I had health insurance and they removed my gallbladder 6 weeks after baby was born. My triggers were ham, sausage rolls and exercising.
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Oh yes I started having attacks at about 18weeks and there wasn’t anything that I knew I could do about it. I had it removed when baby was 1 1/2 years old as I didn’t have the attacks that often but not fun while feeding bubs and being sick.
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Sometimes it’s not food that triggers it either. My husband and I were having a bit of a tickle play with kids. And I had a gallstone block the hole while having a laugh. I had gallbladder removed in the end. After in and out of a and e and also intensive care with bad pancreatitis. Each to your own. Very painful thou definitely worse than child birth.
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Yes. For me it was anything high in fibre. No nuts, or grain bread. Even wheat meal was a problem. No peanut butter either (was actually convinced I had a nut allergy). Even chocolate. Recently had it removed and am feeling so much better for it.
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I feel for you! I had to eat very small, low fat foods. And I drank lemon in my water which really helped. Heated wheat packs for the pain. But still ended up in hospital a week before I had my baby, who was induced. Gallbladder was removed 6 weeks after birth.
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Me to. Those first 6 weeks after bub was born were the worst. Apparently hormones make your gallbladder sluggish. Latest research suggests taking melatonin tablets at the beginning of an attack can help. This has def worked for me. It’s not always fatty foods at all. I found it was when I aye a big meal. Even if it wasn’t fatty at all. A common trigger is also citrus so try avoiding that.
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Yep, just had surgery a week ago to have my gallbladder removed. I could never really figure out what my triggers were. It all started a couple of months after I had my daughter. Was on the public waiting list for surgery since February because removal of the gallbladder is the only way the attacks will never come back.
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I got gall stones a couple of weeks after having my baby I found my self unable to breathe and found myself curled up on the floor in pain and ended up at the hospital every time I had the attacks I couldn’t feed my daughter I ended up going to hospital for a week to get my gall bladder out and the gall stones
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I had gall stones when I wasn’t pregnant and the only thing that helped pre-op was a no-fat diet. Not very healthy and I lost a lot of weight and got every virus going around. But no attacks unless I slipped up and ate fat. No fun either way.
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Feel your pain! I had my first attack 6 weeks after having my first. 2 years on a waiting list to have gall bladder out with almost weekly trips to hospital in that time with attacks. Then another two years of trouble after, in and out if hospital. Finally I went yellow and they opened me up to find a stone blocking my bile duct. For me the only trigger that was clear was lamb fat but still had attacks chronically after cutting that out.
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I had them, went to my osteo after the doctor telling me to get my gall bladder out. Did a detox over the weekend passed them no pain just couldn’t go to far from the toilet and have not had any problems since! My sister and cousin also have done detox and been successful! Better than having surgery
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I suffered with severe gall stone attacks after I had my son. I did a lot of research and found that drinking half a cup of apple cider vinegar and drinking lots of apple juice helped. During an attack take a cup of apple juice and have a shot glass full of apple cider vinegar all at the sane time. There is something in apples that dilates the entrance to the gallbladder therefore reducing the pain. It didn’t fix it completely but it helped. Also avoid dairy/fatty foods. I had my gallbladder out when my son was a few weeks old.
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Oh the mighty gallstones. I had an attack post birth in the middle of the mall. Absolutely painful (more so than giving birth) Ended up in hospital and 10 days later surgery to have gall bladder removed. Apparently its very common for women to get as a result of pregnancy. All to do with the hormones. Not sure about finding the triggers but have to watch your fatty foods intake.
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I take a sip of Apple Cider Vinegar When I think an attack is starting and it seems to help.
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I just had mine out one month ago when my daughter was 5 months old after 2 months of attacks which were excruciating. Mine were mostly triggered by takeout but I had milder attacks after dinner almost every night. Nothing helped except surgery.
