Often, pregnant women experience pain and aches. How do these pains differ from gallbladder symptoms during pregnancy? 12% of women may experience gallstones while they are pregnant, and these complications lead to gallbladder removal, a common surgery done during pregnancy.
During pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone levels are higher, which slow the gallbladder from emptying. This causes the bile to stay in the gallbladder longer, making it more concentrated and more prone to forming gallstones.
Gallbladder attacks may occur, often after fatty meals and at night.
These gallbladder symptoms during pregnancy include a pain in the upper abdomen that will peak around 15-60 minutes. It may last up to 15 hours. You may also feel pain spreading to between your shoulder blades and under your right shoulder. The pain may be either sharp and sudden or a dull ache. When the pain comes and goes, it is caused by the gallbladder pushing the blockage by the gallstone. When the gallbladder relaxes, the pain decreases.
Vomiting and nausea may accompany these symptoms. You may also feel excruciating pain around your abdomen when trying to walk or sit up straight. You may feel an increase in gas in your body, leading to burping or belching.
If your gallbladder attack symptoms are accompanied with fever and chills, you should go see your doctor immediately, as it could mean your condition is more serious. As the condition progresses, it may lead to jaundice, a condition where your flow of bile is blocked, and bile is backed into the liver and released into the bloodstream. You will be able to observe the yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes this occurs.
These gallbladder symptoms during pregnancy are signs that you may need to see your local physician. Your doctor will diagnose your condition by feeling around your gallbladder, testing to see if it is causing your pain or not. Your doctor will then recommend a suitable treatment for you. It may be necessary to remove your gallbladder via surgery if your attacks are frequent and painful.