Sleeping on either side of your body is fine. On the side with your
Find a sleeping position that works for you
While sleeping on your front is considered the most comfortable by many, it can put pressure on your stoma which can cause problems. Therefore, it's a good idea to get used to sleeping on either your back or your side.
You should avoid having anal sex (if the anus has not been removed) after a colostomy because it can cause tearing and bleeding. Speak to your stoma nurse for more information and advice about this.
Sleeping Position
Sleeping on the opposite side from your stoma is fine too, you can just hold a pillow up against your abdomen or set your pouch on a pillow next to you so the weight as it fills does not wake you up. If you are a stomach sleeper, you can modify by bending the leg on the side with your stoma.
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.
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.
Key things to keep in mind
Wearing them lets staff know that you have additional needs. While you will receive a more respectful and discreet experience at airport security, having a stoma won't exclude you from having security checks altogether. So you should be prepared for some sort of body search.
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.
You can bathe or shower with or without wearing your pouching system. Normal exposure to air or water will not harm or enter your stoma. If you're showering without your pouch, remove the skin barrier too. Try to create a routine that coincides with when you're due for a pouch change.
Ballooning occurs when your stoma bag blows up with wind. This is usually due to the filter becoming wet or blocked from stoma output. This can cause the bag to come away from the body. Please note: Stoma ballooning can happen with a colostomy or occasionally with an ileostomy.
The BBC Radio 1 presenter had a stoma bag, which she refers to as Audrey, fitted last October after being diagnosed with bowel cancer. The operation diverts one end of the colon, which is part of the bowel, through an opening in the abdomen called a stoma.
A colostomy is an operation to create an opening (stoma) of the large bowel (colon) onto the surface of the tummy (abdomen). Your poo no longer passes out of your body through your back passage. Instead, it passes out through the stoma. You wear a bag that sticks onto the skin over the stoma to collect your poo.
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.
If your stoma is near your waist, avoid tight pants, skirts or belts that sit directly over the stoma. You may feel more comfortable wearing pants or skirts with a higher or looser waistband, or with an elastic waistband.
An ostomy should not keep you from exercising and playing sports. In fact, people with ostomies are distance runners, weight lifters, skiers, swimmers, and take part in most sports. But it's important to know what activities may not be safe for your type of ostomy.
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.
You may wish to keep your clothing loose for the first couple of weeks, because your tummy may feel uncomfortable. But the good news is that in a few weeks, you should be able to wear your usual clothes. Wearing tight-fitting clothes will not affect your stoma.
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.
An ostomy bag that's too heavy with output can loosen that seal, which may cause odor and leakage. Talk to your doctor or a WOCN (Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse) regarding your personal changing and emptying times.
Out of 168 people who answered the stoma bag poll, 52% of them defined their stoma bag as a disability. These numbers are pretty close.
It's a good idea to keep a night drainage bag in the car so you can empty your bag if you find yourself in a traffic jam. Seatbelts can press down on a stoma. Some people use a device that locks the seatbelt in a comfortable position but releases safely when necessary. And you can also buy seatbelt ostomy protectors.