Anyone else had to have Gallbladder out postnatally?!

[Keggles36]

Hello!

At.2 months pp I ended up in A and E with what turned out to be a gall bladder attack. Fast forward to 7 months pp, several attacks and a diagnosis of gallstones and my gallbladder is coming out on July 12th!

I have terrible anxiety about the whole thing, but today have got really worried about how it'll impact my ability to parent.

So if there is anyone out there that has been through this-
How did you breastfeed?
When could you pick them up again?
Was co sleeping an option, or too painful?
When could you baby wear again?
Any tips?

Turns out 4 friends and friends of friends also waiting to have it out post ivf pregnancy (not sure if there's a link) but don't know anyone who has had it out!

I got gall stones in pregnancy. Had the op when dd was about 5 months old.

i remember the nurses were really unhelpful when I asked for help to express milk. But partner brought in baby and I fed her . I was home the same day as op and up in the first night home with dd. I felt sore and grotty for a couple of weeks but I was able to do everything I needed to….. and EAT chocolate and cream and all other things that had been off the menu for months. It was fabulous… though I put on 6 pounds in 2 weeks 😂.

it will be ok op.

@Wish44 thank you so much for your reply. I'm just so scared, but so reassuring to hear positive things. I can't imagine how awful and worrying that pain must have been whilst still pregnant!

@Wish44 i miss chocolate so much!

When my 2nd baby was 9 weeks old (IVF baby) I took an agonising pain on Christmas night. Went into hospital a few days later and had my gallbladder out a week later. I’d never had an issue with it before.

It was awkward carrying her because of where the incisions were but I managed and was prob back to normal within a week.

best of luck with it!

Had a gallstone attack when baby 2 was 3 weeks old. Had it out 2 weeks later. Recovery was quick and certainly a lot easier than after my C-section with baby 1. Most times you will be out the same day or the next. The biggest pain I had was from the stuck wind and revered shoulder pain.

I had my first attack around 6 weeks after birth (not ivf) and gall bladder out when DD was 7 months. I could breastfeed ok (no help from hv about positions but muddied through). I would say it was good to have help the first couple of days but by day 3 or 4 I was out to a baby group and a week later I was at work on my first day back after maternity leave. Do you have some help the first few days? Though mine was very infected and I had low oxygen so was kept in overnight (usually sent home same day).

Oh you asked how I breastfed! I remembering sitting on sofa. Sat dd on sofa facing the ‘wrong’ way (facing me). I then leaned a bit towards her and leaned her a bit towards me and it went well 😅. Don’t remember when I could pick up again but I was alone with dd 2 weeks later so I guess I could by then.

@Paranteser that's really reassuring, thank you. I keep feeling so down about it, and worried it's going to go wrong it I'm going to be left with constant diarrhoea. Then I started worrying about how on earth I'm going to look after my daughter... Aren't brains fun with the doom spiral?!

It's out! Was kept in as blood pressure would not stabilise and kept dropping but got home the next day.

Managed to breast feed fine now, incisions feel ok but I have really sore back!

Just wondering if any of you had digestive issues following? Things seem ok so far (a bit farty) but read some horror stories about constant diarrhoea starting after a few weeks!

I had some digestive issues but nothing too critical. If I ate a lot of cheese I needed to be sure to be close to a toilet as at some point within the next 30 min I would likely need it for a while after, but nothing that affected my life significantly (when eating I am normally inside, so a toilet was accessible :D).

Yep gallstone thru pregnancy, horrific, in and out of hospital with pancreatitis due to stones and then out when baby was 4 months old

Yes me too - first attack when I was 6 weeks postpartum - struggled along for another year before getting it out. Such a relief.

I did have some digestive issues after my second was born (year after gallbladder out) - basically a lot of diarrhoea, urgent need for loo etc - had almost of investigation for that and struggled with that for 2 years until I got pregnant with my 3rd which seemed to fix it and have been fine ever since. Basically children either destroy or fix my digestive system😂

Get well soon OP. The subsequent issues were much better than the actual attacks.

@Paranteser I have had this experience with any dairy for a few years now, so if that carries on I will take it! ❤️ Thanks for all your reassuring replies they've really helped me x

Yup had mine out 10 months PP was told not to lift anything heavier than 5kg for 6 weeks so had to rely on DH and DM to help with care of our DD. Make sure you’ve got peppermint to get rid of the gas. Comparable to recovery from CS and previous endo surgeries 💖

@seaduck I'm so sorry that you had the two years of diarrhoea! We're hoping for a second (though the chances of two babies from one egg retrieval seems unlikely and I don't think I can afford/go through another full cycle) so really hope this doesn't happen! I'm 5 days out now and so far no issues, and also trying to remind myself that since having baby I've often had to rush home from a walk through fear of not getting to the toilet in time, so not sure that birth did to my digestion but can't blame it all on cholecystectomy if it starts again!

@FNDandme we've been told 4 weeks but think I'll try and go easy for 6 as REALLY don't want a hernia!!

How are you now?

I’m just over the year post eviction need to watch what I eat still which is soul destroying as I was a real foodie 😔

Immediately post op I had trouble 💩 and ended up with glycerin suppositories, foot stool and mooing to 💩 as long as I keep my fluids up I’ve been alright

please do take it as easy as you can 💖

Oh bless you that sounds awful! I think all you hear about is diarrhoea hadn't thought about the opposite! I hope you get back to being able to eat what you want!

I'm a coffee snob and a bit scared I won't ever be able to have coffee again... But will see in a couple of weeks!

My first attack was 3 months after ds was born, I had 9 months of pain then it stopped until I had a total hysterectomy & within a month had continuous attacks, it is definitely hormone linked.

@Keggles36
Im ok coffee wise americano with a splash of milk but can only have 1 or it gives me pain - alright with decaff fortunately as I need the routine of 2 coffees prior to work or I’m not safe to people 😂

buscopan and anti sickness are good to have in your pharmacy just in case!

a weird one is bananas 🍌 = phantom pains!! Everyone is different and I do envy people who could and can eat their pre eviction meals 😂

i second the cheese 🧀…. If I ate a lot then I got a bad tummy… but only for about 6 months and then all settled…. Very strangely every so often I get very similar pains to when I had hall stones , but much milder…they don’t last long … and I had the op 12 years ago!