Abdominal Pain: Just Gas Or An Emergency?
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Gallstones:

Women are much more likely than men to have gallstones, to suffer from their symptoms, and to have their gallbladders removed.  In addition to being female, other risk factors include:  being overweight, being over 40, being pregnant or having previous pregnancies, and a history of taking birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy.  The good news is that most women with gallstones are not symptomatic.  The other good news is that if you are symptomatic, chances are good that you won't need surgery:  there are several medications, ultrasound therapy, and lifestyle changes that can manage the symptoms.  If you need surgery, it may be performed on a scheduled basis rather than an emergency basis, which is always preferable.

Some cases are emergent, however, especially in pregnancy.  If a gallstone gets stuck in the bile duct, it can cause severe pain on the right upper part of the abdomen, which may radiate to the back.  The pain may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting and distention of the upper right abdomen.  This pain may subside and recur-usually after a fatty meal-or it may persist.  If the pain persists, seek emergency medical attention immediately.  If the pain comes and goes, see your physician sooner rather than later on an outpatient basis.

Bladder or Kidney Infections:

Bladder infections (also called urinary tract infections or "UTI's") are very common in women and they often recur.  They are generally easily treated with oral antibiotics when they are recognized early.  If untreated, however, they can progress to serious kidney infections, and even require hospitalization, or rarely surgery, dialysis, or transplantation.   Symptoms of common UTI's include:  urinary frequency or urgency, burning with urination, cloudy or bloody urine, discomfort or pain in the lower abdomen, and sometimes fever or chills.  In pregnancy, bladder infections are commonly asymptommatic, or may only be indicated by small abdominal contractions (like Braxton-Hicks contractions). 

Kidney Stones:

Kidney stones are much less common and the pain is much more severe.  Women who have gone through both compare this pain with the pain of giving birth.  The pain of a kidney stone is sudden, intense, generally on one side of the back (near the waist) which radiates around the front to the same side.  This may be accompanied by fever, chills, and other urinary symptoms, including some bloody spotting.