Fibrous foods such as wholemeal bread and vegetable skins are difficult to digest and may cause a blockage if they are eaten in large quantities or not well chewed when your bowel is still swollen following surgery and should therefore be gradually re-introduced into your diet.
In general, people with an ostomy can eat and drink what they want unless the surgeon or ostomy therapist has given counter-advice. But as before the surgery some food may be easier to digest than others – and right after surgery it may be helpful to pay some extra attention to the signals from your body.
Applesauce, Bananas, Boiled white rice, Creamy nut butter (such as peanut butter), Oatmeal/porridge, Gelatin containing foods (jelly babies, marshmallows).
You must still include fibre in your diet. Choose some foods from the following list daily: Wholemeal bread. High fibre cereal e.g. Weetabix, porridge.
One major issue to watch out for with a stoma is the laxative effect of some chocolates. The caffeine and fibre within the chocolate can increase the rate of motility (which is the contraction of the muscles in the digestive tract that encourage bowel movements).
You can eat whatever you want if you have an ostomy
If you have a colostomy or ileostomy, you'll find that various foods affect your digestive tract differently. Just as some foods gave you gas before your surgery, you'll likely experience gas with certain foods now that you have an ostomy.
A guide to foods not to eat when you have a colostomy bag
Stay away from these foods when you've recently had colostomy surgery: Dairy products, with the exception of small amount of yogurt. Fried food or any fatty meats, including potato chips.
Skin irritation around your stoma is usually caused by leakage from your ostomy pouch and the output from your stoma getting underneath the adhesive and onto your skin. It is uncomfortable and can stop your pouch from working well. The skin around your stoma should look similar to the skin on the rest of your body.
Choose fresh fruit juices in addition to water and hot tea. Sometimes carbonated drinks may help. Gently massage around your stoma to try to encourage the blockage to work its way out.
Roast potatoes – enjoy as is. Yorkshire Pudding – enjoy as is. Roasted root vegetables e.g., parsnips and carrots, neeps and tatties: peel them, cook them until soft and enjoy with your favourite flavourings such as honey and spices.
For people who wear two-piece appliances, gas can easily be released by “burping” the pouch. Slightly separate the pouch from the flange at the top of the appliance (complete removal of the pouch is not required) to allow the gas to escape. Once the pouch is empty, reattach the pouch to the flange.
Once your appetite has returned and your stoma output starts normalising, you can gradually reintroduce more foods. Try to include a range of foods from each of the following food groups to make sure you have a balanced diet: Protein rich foods such as meat, fish, eggs, nuts, lentils and beans.
Once home, avoid strenuous activities that could place a strain on your abdomen, such as lifting heavy objects. Your stoma nurse will give you advice about how soon you can go back to normal activities. At first you will pass wind through your stoma and then, usually within 2 or 3 days, you poo through it.
Complete recovery from a colostomy may take up to 2 months. During this time, you will have limits on what you can eat while the colon heals. If the colostomy is temporary, you may need a reversal, or closure, surgery after the colon has healed. You usually have this surgery about 3 months later.
Keeping hydrated with an ileostomy, colostomy and urostomy
You should try to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day along with any other drinks such as tea or coffee.
Foods to limit
High-fat milk and dairy products, such as: Whole milk. Regular ice cream or sherbet.
Fizzy drinks will increase the amount of wind that you pass in your ileostomy or colostomy pouch. It is likely to make your stoma more vocal and can cause ballooning of the pouch. To reduce this avoid fizzy drinks or drink them in moderation.
Make sure your clothes are not too tight around the bag.
You may need to be careful that waistbands do not rest below the stoma restricting ability to drain into your pouch. Depending on stoma placement, you may feel more comfortable with high- or low-rise waistband items, like underwear, jeans, or activewear.
Beans are soft and generally fine in moderation, but the shells on baked beans particularly can cause problems, like blockages or wind. We say: try them out & see how you go!
Spicy foods, some particular vegetables (onions, cabbages, peas, and beans) and fizzy drinks have been known to increase wind, so we would recommend avoiding these in your diet. We would also recommend not drinking with your meal if you are experiencing ballooning, as this can also cause you to swallow excess air.
After the first few days after surgery, you can take liquids such as clear soup or juice, followed by easily digestible foods like oatmeal. Gradually thereafter, other foods that will likely be suitable are well-cooked rice, pureed fresh fruit, as well as cooked and pureed vegetables.