During pregnancy, the hormone levels of progesterone and estrogen change significantly, which may cause many physiological changes, for example, in the middle and late stages of pregnancy, the gallbladder may increase in size to twice its pre-pregnancy size, and the gallbladder emptying rate may be much slower, and some pregnant women may develop gallbladder stones. Gallstones without symptoms are usually treated non-surgically Patients with stones detected only by ultrasound without physical symptoms, patients with first attacks with few symptoms, and patients whose symptoms can be relieved by non-surgical treatment can usually be considered without surgery first. Commonly used non-surgical treatments include bed rest, low-fat diet, anti-infective antispasmodic and analgesic treatment and fluid support. The presence of biliary colic, combined with acute cholecystitis, may be considered for surgery Biliary colic is one of the common symptoms of gallbladder stones, the onset of which can be sudden, with pain in the right upper abdomen or epigastrium, varying in severity. In severe cases, the pain is unbearable, with moaning and pale face with profuse sweating. The pain can also radiate to the right shoulder or right upper back, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In mothers with symptoms, ultrasound is often used to identify gallstones and any associated comorbidities. Depending on the patient’s condition, surgery may be considered for mothers with acute cholecystitis. The best time to perform cholecystectomy is usually in the middle of pregnancy, when the chances of spontaneous miscarriage and early contractions are low, except when the patient already has other complications of cholelithiasis. Mothers-to-be with more serious problems usually require surgery If there is a combination of more serious problems, such as obstructive jaundice, biliary pancreatitis, and cholangitis, surgery is usually recommended regardless of the mother-to-be’s early or late pregnancy. This is because in addition to the disease itself, which can cause problems for the mother and fetus, non-surgical treatment of cholelithiasis can also lead to complications that may result in higher mortality rates for the mother and fetus. In this case, timely surgical treatment can help to stop the progression of the disease. Doctor’s tip: During pregnancy, mothers-to-be should be vigilant once gallbladder stones are detected, regardless of whether they have symptoms or not. Timely consultation, careful observation and regular review are the keys to ensure the health of the mother and baby. For mothers-to-be whose doctors recommend surgical treatment, a professional obstetrician will usually consult with them before the surgery to help the surgeon with the perinatal obstetric treatment. Therefore, mothers-to-be should not be afraid of surgery. It is important to relax and cooperate positively with the doctor, which will help to achieve better treatment results.