Find a sleeping position that works for you
The best position to sleep in when you have a stoma is on your back, or on your side. If you prefer to sleep on your stomach, this will be fine at the beginning of the night but increases the chances of leaks as the night progresses and your bag fills.
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.
If you find that, regardless of what you do, your stoma is very active at night, you can try taking something like Imodium to slow down your output. If you find that your bag fills up with gas overnight, you can take something like Gas-X to reduce your gas production.
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.
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.
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.
What does this mean? If your stoma output is loose and watery for more than 24 hours nutrients, electrolytes (eg. Salt) and fluid are not absorbed properly.
Some individuals prefer to wear belts during sleep because of frequent position changes and pouch movement. Not all pouching systems will accommodate a belt. If a belt is required for your care, it may limit the type of pouching system that you can use.
Try to include a low fibre starchy food (bread, potatoes, pasta, rice) and protein food (peanut butter, eggs, meat, fish, cheese) at each meal and snack. This will help to slow down the digestion of food through the bowel allowing more time for your body to digest and absorb.
It can be quite exhausting especially when sleep is broken to get up and attend to your stoma pouch, which unfortunately doesn't always go to sleep with you! Just remember that this can take a little bit more time and energy but be patient, things should slow down with time.
Avoid foods that commonly cause gas. These include beans, cabbage, onions, and spicy foods. Some foods can cause cramping or may be difficult to pass through an ostomy if they are not chewed well. These include nuts, popcorn, and corn.
It is normal to feel exhausted in the early weeks and months following surgery. You probably didn't get much sleep in hospital as they are really busy places. You are up at night changing or emptying your ostomy pouch so your sleep has been interrupted.
People with a colostomy will not have control over when a bowel movement takes place from the stoma. The ostomy appliance might need to be emptied a few to several times a day. The large intestine is where water is absorbed from stool, which helps to make the stool thicker.
Ballooning occurs when air from the stoma inflates the bag and cannot escape through the filter. The resulting air pressure can cause the adhesive to detach from the skin.
Most people will be aware of the smell of their colostomy because it's their own body. But someone standing next to you will not be able to smell the stoma. You'll have more gas than usual immediately after having a colostomy, but this will slowly reduce as your bowel recovers.
Use a Shower Shield
It is typically a plastic or waterproof cover that is placed over the pouch to keep it dry and prevent any water from getting inside. Ostomy shower shields may have an opening or a window that allows the stoma to be exposed and function normally while the pouch remains protected.
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.
If you have higher fluid losses than the average person, it's best to drink the recommended 6-8 cups of fluid a day plus choose saltier foods and hydrating foods. Occasionally when someone has loose bowel movements, drinking more fluid can make them more dehydrated.
Having diarrhoea will often mean that the stoma bag needs to be changed much more regularly than usual. This can mean that you go through supplies much quicker and also lead to irritation of the peristomal skin.
One type of odor eliminator is a pouch deodorant. These come in both liquid and gel form and are used as a preventative measure. All you need to do is put your preferred pouch deodorant in your ostomy bag after every time you change or empty your pouch, before reattaching the system.
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.