Pregnancy Signs & Symptoms, Week by Week Pregnancy Guide

Gallbladder is the small sac which lies beneath the liver and stores bile which is a fat dissolving substance into your intestinal tract.  When this residual bile hardens up and gets converted into solid clumps, then gallstones can get formed.  These big sized stones can cause a gallbladder attack by blocking the exit duct.

During pregnancy, an increase in the estrogen levels can make one more susceptible to gallstones and hence it is recommended that all pregnant females must follow a good gallbladder diet plan.  The following are some gallbladder diet plan recommendations for pregnant women.

Reduce the Intake of Fat

When you eat any kind of fat, then that can trigger a reaction from the gallbladder.  Thus during pregnancy, it is a good idea to reduce the fat intake so that you can avoid suffering from gallstones.  For example, you can replace all the red meat you eat with light and skinless meat.  You can also replace cooking oil or butter with low fat yoghurt.

Making these changes can reduce the gallbladder activity and may reduce chances of an attack.  Also, reducing dietary fat can also help you maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy.

Get in More Fiber

Another thing that you can do to follow a good gallbladder diet during pregnancy is to get as much fiber in as possible.  You can increase the dietary fiber by eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Fiber can help improve digestion and proves good for the gallbladder.

All pregnant women must eat between 4 to 5 cups of vegetables or fruits every day.  Another way to get in more fiber in your diet is to mix together a handful of dried apricots to your vegetables or oatmeal.  You must also concentrate on eating darkly colored veggie and fruits like kale, broccoli and berries etc as they provide you nutrients which are important for brain development of the baby.

Hydrate

Proper hydration is also important for the body to break down the extra fiber and transport all the nutrients to the uterus.  Pregnant females must have atleast 10 glasses of water every day as a part of a good gallbladder diet. They must limit sweetened beverages and sodas as much as possible as they pack hundreds of empty calories. It is rather better to have other liquids like coconut water etc.

Whole Foods

It is very important for pregnant women to opt for fresh, whole foods over processed or refined food items.  It is a good idea to choose whole wheat bread over white bread and fresh spinach over canned creamed spinach.  Pregnant females must avoid, reduce or totally eliminate foods which are high on preservatives as these foods besides Tran’s fats can trigger formation of gallstones.

Also, packaged foods like crackers, chips, cakes and others too much be avoided and are top offenders.  It is better to make your own snacks at home or simply opt for fruits like apples whenever you feel like snacking in between meals.