In November of 2017, I had my tubes tied after bringing five wonderful children into the world. I felt done with pregnancy, but I still vividly remember the sensations of carrying a child. At the six-week mark with each baby, I’d wake up feeling both ravenous and nauseous. The early morning hours, around 3 or 4 a.m., would be filled with relentless vomiting that persisted until about the 27th week, and even then, I would still have episodes of sickness. It’s funny how my love for garlic vanished during pregnancy; the scent of it would linger in our home for days, no matter how much I cleaned.
Fast forward to December 2018, when the familiar aroma of garlic drifted into my dreams, waking me up with a sudden wave of nausea. I was so overwhelmed that I couldn’t reach the bathroom before vomiting all over my bedroom – a situation I hadn’t faced since I was a child. My initial worry was that I might be pregnant again. Since my surgery, I hadn’t kept track of my menstrual cycles, and my periods had become lighter. But after hours of vomiting, I took a pregnancy test the next day, and it was, thankfully, negative.
However, the vomiting continued, often 10 to 15 times a day, leading me to second-guess the test results. The nausea felt eerily similar to morning sickness, and more nights than I could count were spent curled up in the bathtub, trying to find a semblance of comfort. I felt drained and overwhelmed, even experiencing occasional vomiting of blood. After two trips to the emergency room, the second doctor suspected I might still be pregnant and ordered a series of tests, including a urine test, blood work, and a pelvic ultrasound. The results confirmed what I feared – I was not pregnant, yet the nausea persisted.
An abdominal CT scan revealed an inflamed gallbladder, and I was diagnosed with biliary dyskinesia, a condition that hampers the gallbladder’s ability to function properly. Recommended laparoscopic gallbladder removal became my path forward, and I eagerly agreed to the surgery, desperate for relief from the nausea. Just a week after the operation, I was back to Zumba and grateful for a nausea-free life – and still not pregnant.
Before my surgery, I had joined a private Facebook group for gallbladder issues run by a passionate advocate for those dealing with similar conditions. “It amazes me how many women join our group daily, often unaware of how they developed gallbladder problems,” he said. Research indicates that women in their reproductive years are nearly twice as likely as men to experience gallbladder issues, particularly gallstones.
Symptoms of gallbladder problems can include pain in the upper right abdomen or shoulder, nausea, changes in bowel habits, fever, and jaundice. Though gallstones typically develop slowly, they can also appear rapidly, and pregnancy can exacerbate gallbladder issues due to hormonal changes. Increased estrogen levels during pregnancy can elevate cholesterol in bile, which may lead to gallstone formation.
For instance, Sarah, a mother of two, faced similar nausea after her second child. “I thought it was just hormones again,” she shared, reflecting on the confusion that often surrounds symptoms that mimic morning sickness. This raises a crucial point: women can experience significant gallbladder complications during or after pregnancy, and the symptoms can easily be misattributed to typical pregnancy discomforts.
Dr. Mark Thompson, a general surgery specialist, emphasized the importance of considering gallbladder disease when dealing with severe morning sickness. “It’s vital to explore whether nausea could be linked to gallbladder issues, as many women experience this during pregnancy,” he noted. The interplay between pregnancy and gallbladder health is not something we fully understand, yet it’s evident that early detection is essential.
As more women report pregnancy-like nausea due to gallbladder complications, it prompts the question of what we still need to learn about the connections between female anatomy and gallbladder issues. If you’re interested in more about home insemination, check out this informative piece on Intracervical Insemination. For a comprehensive understanding of artificial insemination, visit Cryobaby, an authority in the field. Additionally, Progyny offers excellent resources on pregnancy and related topics.
In summary, after years of pregnancy, I discovered that nausea doesn’t always mean you’re expecting. Sometimes, it can signal a more significant health issue, like gallbladder disease. Women must be vigilant about their health and advocate for answers when faced with symptoms that disrupt their lives.