gallbladder issues 3rd trimester

[northcountrymamma]

hi all,
so does anyone have any advice on how to deal with an acute gallbladder attack at 32 weeks...

mostly my issues are eating...I'm so hungry but my midwife wants to see me on a bland diet with no fats, nuts, sugars and meat (which I don't eat anyways) and basically just stick to the basics of bread, applesauce, bananas and rice (I think she calls it the Brat Diet).

That said I have done some reading and found that the following foods/herbs are supportive for gallbladder inflammations etc.
beets, carrots, pears, apples, honey, rice, yogurt, cottage cheese, dandelion, burdock root, nettles, alfalfa, spearmint.

There has just got to be more...but everytime I try to push it and have something else, it's instant pain. The only thing I've been able to do is almond milk and it's actually surprisingly soothing.

Any advice?

[Family4Christ]

I had severe problems starting at 8 weeks (last 2 pregnancies) that are now gone. I did this. It took me awhile to work the nerve up to do it (at that point, morning sickness and aversions were really in full swing) and I only did it for 3 weeks, not 6, but it was enough to stop the attacks and misery and allow me to eat the fat my body needs and I want.

I should also mention that my last pregnancy I did not know about the bean thing, so I ended up at the hospital several times and with 3-4 hour severe attacks almost daily. I tried everything that pregnancy, including herbs and homeopathy, to no avail. I was shocked that the bean thing worked. Before I started it, I was on the verge of surgery, as even an apple started an attack. After 4 days, I was eating much more variety with no signs of any GB problems and it just got better and better. I'm so excited to share it! I have no doubt it will work for anyone. So glad there's this approach, especially in pregnancy .

[purplestraws]

8 oz of unfiltered apple juice with 1 T of apple cider vinegar. For me, it stops the pain almost immediately.

I've never seen that stuff about beans before. That's interesting!

And I know this is totally contrary to all the normal gallbladder advice, but I only get gallbladder attacks when I'm eating too many carbohydrates and not enough animal fat. As soon as I went on a low-carb diet my gallbladder problems really cleared up. It wasn't until I started slipping back into eating more carbs and sugar (because I was feeling so good) that my gallbladder started acting up again. Again, take that information with a grain of salt...however, it's definitely true for me.

[myk]

i'd be cautious about herbal supplements.. double check that they're ok for your pregnancy. one thing that helped me was taking lecithin capsules every time i ate. it acts as an emulsifier, which is also the function of the bile that's forming the gallstones.. so if you eat something that has good healthy fat in it, it's a bit less likely (in my experience) to trigger a gallstone attack.

i've had my gallbladder out before getting pregnant actually.. but i still occasionally get attacks because there are stones in my liver! lecithin seems to be the best trick to help it out.

[northcountrymamma]

thanks for the replies...I have a call into my naturopath as well and hope to have more details soon...

the herbs that I am taking are all safe for pregnancy and are herbs i have used in my pregnancy at other times.

the ACV is really really helping. It keeps the worst pain under control for me

the stuff about the beans is also quite interesting...I plan to look into that more.

thanks all!

[TrishWSU]

I started have GB problems in my 3rd tri with my second. I started taking the herbs you mentioned (+ ginger), plus just really watched the "bad" fats, i.e. fried foods, fatty cuts of meat...I'm pretty sure I've read that dairy is not good if you have GB issues.

The herbs really helped. In fact I actually stopped having acid reflux as well!

[Stayseeliz]

I haven't had issues with GB when pregnant but I had a rough two years+ when I was a teen until GB disease with diagnosed and I had my GB taken out. There was NO other route for me at that point.

My biggest advice would be to find your trigger foods and avoid them like mad. My mom's was lettuce, mine was coffee. Everyone is different. Acidic foods usually make GB attacks worse.

Good luck! I remember how much this hurts!

[trimestersdoula]

My GB problems actually went away with pregnancy but after having my DD they came back with a vengeance. I ended up having no other option except having it removed. Sorry I can't help or give you any advice. ((((HUGS)))) GB issues REALLY suck!
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[TrishWSU]

Originally Posted by Family4Christ

I had severe problems starting at 8 weeks (last 2 pregnancies) that are now gone. I did this. It took me awhile to work the nerve up to do it (at that point, morning sickness and aversions were really in full swing) and I only did it for 3 weeks, not 6, but it was enough to stop the attacks and misery and allow me to eat the fat my body needs and I want.

That's very interesting about the beans! Does it matter how you eat them, i.e. just the straight beans or can you make beans and rice or throw them in a tortilla with some salsa? My mom has recently been having GB issue so I'm going to send her that link.