The best position to sleep in when you have a stoma is on your back, or on your side.
Wear an ostomy belt or wrap to keep your pouch snug, but not too tight, on your abdomen during the night. Don't wear tight-fitting pajamas that will restrict the flow into the pouch. If you find your nighttime output is heavy, ask your ostomy nurse about a nighttime drainage bag. Prevent Leaks.
It's always a good idea to empty or change your stoma bag before you go to bed as it will help to prevent your bag from filling up too much overnight and disturbing your sleep. A full stoma bag is always at risk of leaking and that's not something you want to experience during the night.
Sleeping positions with a stoma
Laying on your stomach may increase the chance of leaks if the stoma becomes active and the bag begins to fill up. There's not really a way around this. Ostomates usually know when the stoma is generally going to be active if they eat and drink at the same times every day.
It is also important that you dry your skin thoroughly before applying your stoma bag. If the skin is too moist then this can also cause stoma bag leakages. Leaks can also occur if the stoma protrusion has altered. It may mean you need to have an alternative product to help prevent leaks such as a convex product.
The best position to sleep in when you have a stoma is on your back, or on your side.
The skin around your stoma may be uneven due to creases or folds, this can vary from person to person. Uneven skin can cause your pouch to not sit snugly against your skin, which may lead to leakages or sore skin. Click for recommendations to help with creases and skin folds.
Colostomy gas is different from regular flatulent emissions (farts). While you may be able to control a regular fart with rectal sphincter control, you cannot control when your colostomy releases gas. Nobody wants to release noisy gas or odors at the wrong time.
There are safety measures you may need to think about. For instance, many doctors recommend avoiding contact sports because of possible injury to the stoma from a severe blow. But special protection may be able to help prevent these problems. Talk to your health care team about any limitations you may have.
You can bathe and shower as normal with your stoma and, unless you have been specifically advised otherwise, you can do so with the stoma bag on or off. It won't fall off in the water if you choose to keep it on and if you bathe with the stoma bag off, soap rinsing over the stoma isn't a problem.
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.
For those with an ileostomy, output tends to be thinner and more frequent, prompting about six to eight bathroom trips a day. Some people who have an ileostomy may be looking for ideas on how to firm stool up a bit and decrease output and/or trips to the bathroom.
After surgery it is normal for all ostomates to feel fatigued. Don't forget you have just had major abdominal surgery.
The surgeon uses a piece of your small intestine to connect the ureters to the outside of your body instead of the bladder. The urine then flows out through the stoma, where a pouch collects it.
First things first, immediately before bed, empty your bag. In addition to that, stop eating and drinking a few hours before going to bed. Eating and drinking directly before bed can cause your stoma to be more active overnight and will result in a full bag.
When the large bowel has been removed the small bowel must adapt to absorb more fluid, which it is not as effective at doing (this will improve over time). This means output from your stoma can increase.
You should try to drink 6-8 glasses of water each day along with any other drinks such as tea or coffee. A safe and welcoming space for ostomates, friends, family and caregivers to talk about a wide range of topics related to living with a stoma.
Many people with a stoma can eat a normal diet. However, some people find certain foods can alter their stoma output and cause symptoms such as diarrhoea, constipation, wind, odour or a blockage of the stoma.
Smell and gas
Many people worry that their colostomy will give off a smell that others will notice. All modern appliances have air filters with charcoal in them, which neutralises the smell. Most people will be aware of the smell of their colostomy because it's their own body.
If the stoma bag fits well there should be no smell except when changing it. If you do notice a smell from your bag, you should check it as there may be a leak under the flange and the bag will need changing.
Most people will be able to feel their bowels move and know when poop is about to come out. But you won't be able to control it anymore. Unlike your anus, your stoma doesn't have a muscle system that allows you to close it at will. So pooping won't be the intentional action that it used to be.
Many people enjoy leaving their skin uncovered for 15 to 30 minutes after taking their pouching system off. This is called a skin break. Taking a skin break can help with irritation or keep it from happening. You can decide if you want to take a skin break.
Most people with stomas may have to go through a stoma infection. However, it is a possibility that anyone with a stoma should know about it. The first sign of a stoma infection may be a pus-like discharge, unusual swelling, increasing redness, or color changes.