Adjusting Stoma Bag Placement to Reduce Visibility

Hi there



Great site! I have only had my stoma for 2 weeks. I am getting used to it but find that my bag comes quite low down about half way into my underwear. It therefore gives the appearance rather of a rather unsightly"bulge", which is not particularly attractive as I am a girl.



Any suggestions of how I can change the angle/stop the bulge/hide it?



Thanks



CeNedra

hi cenedra!

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                 i just read your post,i too am 26 yrs old and i got my illeostomy in january this year.i like quite fitted clothing and im sure you do too,for the first few weeks i lived in trackie bottoms and loose t-shirts until my wound healed.After about 6 weeks you will find you will be backin jeans etc. im not sure other than wearing baggy clothes how you can disguise it but i have looked around and found that babydoll tops and the t-shirts that are in fashion at the mo you know the scrunchy type ones? also if yur going on a night out the puffball dresses or skirts are great for disguising and still very pretty.

wait around 10-20 mins after you have food then you can empty your bag and it will lie flat against you,you then can have more option for tighter clothing,and possibly with jeans just getting ones that sit on your hips you can then fold your bag upwards and secure it with a bit of tape,and honestly no one ever even notices these things,if you ever get caught short and need to find a bathroom and your pouch is bulging then remove your cardigan/jacket and tie it round your waist,that is a good way to disguise until you reach a restroom.

best of luck in your recovery and if you need some one to talk to dont hesitate il pm you my email xxxxx

oh and another thing,if your not one for carrying a handbag around then get one,a largish one,you can adjust the straps so it sits nicley beside your hip,and i have found when my illeostomy bag buldges then i can just swing my hand bag around a little to disguise the bulge lol,you will also need it to carry extra ostomy supplies in which case a pencil case is great,so if your bag is to tip when your in public for any reason then no one is any the wiser

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xx

I don't mean to be a downer but be careful with the tight clothes ladies. These bags have been know to blow right off when full of gas. It's amazing how much of it we actually produce every day.

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   I don't know about you but sometimes it's good for two or three hours after I empty it and there have been too many times when I have had to empty 20 or 30 minutes later.  The tight clothes would greatly restrict the bags expansion abilities and you could end up in a real pickle.  I don't think any of us like the looser clothing but unfortunatley for a lot of us baggers, it goes with the territory.

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Thanks so much for the tips so far. I am still getting used to the different types of bags and today I wore a summer dress and could not even tell I was wearing a bag. I have noticed though that my bag is full of gas when I wake up in the morning and have had to open the bag in the middle of the night. Is this normal?



Loved the idea about the jumper/cardigan around the waste when it puffs up when out. Great idea!

Staying Hydrated with an Ostomy with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Awesome on the summer dress! Cenedra!!!

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   I am so happy for you. !!  Actually you are lucky if you only have to "burp" your bag once during the night. Some medications (and foods) make it much worse. I was off and on antibiotics for five months after I my rupture four years ago and there were a LOT of nights where between 10 p.m. and around 2 a.m. I had to burp it every 20 or 30 minutes; had a lot of almost sleepless nights back in those days

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   and thank goodness it settled down.  Still usually have to two or three times and have to empty a couple of times a night. Yes having gas during the night is not unusual.  Our bodies produce a lot of it and when we don't have that five feet of colon to contain it is when we unfortunately find out how full of hot air we actually are

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  .  

I have an ileostomy but I have heard that individuals with colostomies have more gas, hard to believe that is possible but that is what I have heard.

Sandi

i have been pondering this situation, why do i have a bag full of gas when i wake up, yet during the day i have very little...does anyone have a theory on this?

Have found the reason why I wake up in the mornings with a bag full of air... sometimes alot and other times just poo.....

I like to use a straw... we all know that with a straw it can make you build up gases.... even if you don't have a bag.

Snoring is a big deal too.....

I've had my illeostomy for 6 yrs now hard to believe I've come so far learning. I'm one of those that goes to bed late and gets up early... So I have no emptying in the middle of the night.... I sleep very hard.... there have been times that I woke up at 5 or 6 and didn't think I was going to be able to walk with that bag blown up like it was..... Back when I first got the thing I would opt to just let the air out while I was laying in bed... learned the hard way not to do that.... a no no.... sometimes would just make a big mess....

Celeste

I don't know if this would work with your type of appliance, but mine is held on with an elastic belt and I mount my bag to the side and the end just tucks under the belt. I am a male and this lets me wear pants with a belt, and the bag remains totally above the waist line. ie. instead of vertical I wear it horizontally.



don't know if this would be useful for a woman, but it keeps the gas from plumping out your waistline.



regards

Earl Vandervord

So if you keep your bag horizontally ( did I spell that?) how do you empty it? And ladies, how do you wear tight fitting jeans that look good?? And hide the bag?