Laying on Stomach with Ostomy - Safe or Avoid?

Hello everyone!

So I was wanting to ask what you all think about lying on your stomach with an ostomy? Not for long periods of time, but for maybe like 10-15 minutes tops. And do you think it's safe or should be avoided?

Thanks

I lay on my stomach for an hour on Sunday getting a massage. It was the first time for me. I did limit my intake for a few hours before. I didn't have any issues.

So I don't currently have an ileostomy, but when I did, I did. I don't stay still long even while I'm sleeping so that's more my problem. I had to use a Boppy pillow to keep me from rolling in the first few weeks after surgery. I did have a bad outcome once on a brand new couch.

I don't usually specifically lay on my stomach at night. I have, however, awakened in the middle of the night on my stomach. I have found over the years that I'm able to wake up when my bag is fairly full or full of air. In the beginning after my ileostomy, I would never lay on my stomach. I did have quite a few accidents during the learning curve. Now I prefer either side or my back. I think the longer we have an ileostomy the better we get at realizing even when we're sleeping that we need to empty or turn to a side. I hope this helps. I can remember being absolutely scared much of the time that I would have an accident in public or that I would have an accident because I laid on my stomach. Honestly, over 23 years I've probably really only had maybe 10 accidents with the majority of those in the very beginning. I do always have a flange, a bag, and a clip with me. When I fly on airplanes, I don't eat and I just drink water only.

I use the travel pillow (non-memory foam) that goes around your neck to lay on gives an opening for the bag and stoma. I have no issues, but if you have a filter in your bag, you're going to have the filter fail in a day because output will be resting on it.

Words of Encouragement from Ostomy Advocates I Hollister

Altho' I usually sleep on my back, sometimes I like to fall asleep face down.  I bunch my pillow up under my chest above my stoma so that the stoma area is raised up slightly off the surface of the bed.  I've never had an issue over it.  I find that I fall sleep faster this way.  But I always awake and turn over after about 45-60 minutes.

Stomas are tougher than people give them credit for.

I can only say what I do. I sleep on my stomach for X amount of hours every night for over 30 years now, and it must be over 10 years since I had a bag leak while I'm sleeping. I have an ileostomy.

I have never laid on my stomach since getting my stoma. But then again, I never slept on my stomach before.

Hi ostomy4,

If your question is, will lying on your stoma hurt it.........the answer is no. You used to sit on your ass all the time and it never bothered your colon, so no issue! Seriously, try it......and if there's no pain or other issues.........you're good.

If your question is, SHOULD you sleep on your stomach.........well, only if you really trust yourself to not have output and end up in a nice big puddle of ostomy sauce. You really trust yourself to wake up, eh? I never could. Sleep is just too good when done right, and once out I'd sleep like a brick. What I did/do if I want to sleep anywhere near on my stomach is set the alarm on my phone for 20 or 30 minutes.......and bring my knee up to make a space for my bag to hang and not be pressed into the mattress. This way I can be sure I won't have an accident.

For my own bed, I took a 4" mattress topper and cut out a 6x8ish square where my bag can hang into while on my stomach. I was going to make sheets with a similar pocket to match up to the topper, but find I don't sleep on my stomach all that much. So if I want to sleep on my belly, I just put the topper on over the sheets and lay directly on it. This won't work if you move around a lot when you sleep, but I stay pretty much where I nod off. So far it's been working like a charm. But tough to explain to folks why I have a big hole in my mattress topper. There's worse things, I suppose.

;O)

I have been sleeping on my stomach for 6 years now and no problems.

I have no problem sleeping on my stomach. I usually end up waking up on my side which tells me that at some time in my 7-hour sleep I turn, but I don't know when. I don't know how long I had been on my stomach, but my stomach has not suffered.

I have an ileostomy on my right side, and I sometimes sleep on my stomach leaning more to the left side. I will also sleep on my right side, being careful not to sleep fully on the pouch.

I was always a side half-stomach sleeper until 2 years ago. I am an avid person who gets massages and acupuncture and really needs to be on my tummy. But it always worries me. So I got what is called "The Dome" and it works wonders! I can now feel good about laying on my tummy.

I tend to sleep on my side but I do surf and that is lying on a hard surface.

I have had no problems so I guess sleeping on it should be cool.

What's the dome?

There's lots of varieties... but this is the 'dome'.

;o)

https://www.stealthbelt.com/stoma-dome-velcro-strips

I get massages weekly and lie on my stomach for 1 hour. No problems.

This is the answer I was looking for, thanks.

I usually sleep on my stomach. I can only sleep comfortably on my back with a reclining bed. I have always slept on my stomach and feel it's just too late for me to change. I rarely have leakage issues. I do end up going to the bathroom 3-5 times per night anyway. I kinda assumed that's the life of having an ileostomy.