Gallstones

I just heard from the doctor's office and I have gallstones. Before I go on -- this will not have an impact on the baby at all. That was my first question. The image is not of my gallbladder, but it looks similar to what I saw on the ultrasound I had this morning.

I found this excerpt from ivillage about gallbladder problems during pregnancy, which is pretty much the same thing the doctor said:

Pregnancy can cause gallbladder problems to develop. The high levels of hormones (estrogens) in pregnancy cause the bile to be much thicker, thus increasing the tendency of gallstones to form. In addition, other hormones (progesterone) inhibit the gallbladder's normal ability to contract, further increasing the likelihood of stone formation. Any recommendations regarding the need for gallbladder surgery during pregnancy depend on the severity of symptoms.

For the next twenty-four hours I'm on a clear liquids only diet. Good thing I was able to eat a good lunch! From now on I'm supposed to eat bland foods and avoid fatty, fried or greasy foods. The good news is I don't eat fried or fatty foods very often, if at all, so this shouldn't be too hard. Then again I have no idea what will make my gallbladder "act up" so I'm sure there will be some trial and error. There is an increased chance of preterm labor and after the baby is born I'll need to have surgery.

For now I'm supposed to expect nausea, vomiting and pain. Nice. Oh well, not much I can do about it. As long as it doesn't hurt our baby I'm fine. Only eight more weeks to go!