Sleeping on Your Stomach with a Stoma: Is It Safe?

Can you lie on your stomach with a stoma? Is it dangerous?

I occasionally lie on my stomach during things like massage and yoga, but it's brief. I don't think it's dangerous, just risky if it's done for long periods of time, as you'd be risking a leak.

Yes, it's okay; your stoma can handle it. I sleep on my stomach. If you're very fussy, some have a pillow under their stomach. I find that uncomfortable myself, but it makes some feel more confident.

I often find it easier to fall asleep on my stomach.  I slip a pillow under my belly so that it's above my stoma which is just enough to allow some space between the mattress and the stoma.  I'll always flip over after about an hour.  

If you have an ileostomy, I wouldn't recommend it because if your bag fills up, it could pop. You have to be careful about when and how much your bag fills up. If you have a colostomy, it's a bit different because your output is more predictable. So you can plan to lay on your stomach when you know you're not going to have much or any output. Ileostomies are different; you have output a lot of the time. It's not dangerous for your stoma, but it is for your bag and getting a leak.

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As Lee said above, sleeping on your stomach as an ileo is a risk.

I would not advise it at any stage of this journey because one thing is for sure: output. Liquid. High volume. Fill that bag during the night as you sleep, and do a roll; you won't ever do it again. Most of us get up two or three times to empty during the night. Fact.

A hospital procedure on me was done while I had to be on my stomach. Yikes! What they offered me was genius. This was a formed foam circular type of "packing."

I'm sure something round was in the hole, and it was packaged in this foam thing.

Well... butter my butt and call me biscuit. It supported my stomach and left room for the bag to drop. Imagine a tea bag in a cup. Yeah... like that. Ha ha...

They gave it to me, but I don't use it. Still have it though.

What I recommend is emptying your bag nightly before bedtime. Sleep in a fetal position to avoid rolling. If you decide, while the bag is empty, to lay on your stomach—that would be the only time to do it. Once.

I do believe if your stoma is prolapsed—sticking out—don't even consider laying on your stomach without support.

What holds the stoma the way it is? Do you think it's stitched somehow to the stomach wall?

It's not. So if it expands, it will retract. Use a pillow, as others have mentioned, to keep pressure off it. What Henry said, for example.

I have become a back sleeper. I do favor my left side a lot. The right side has the stoma, so it's a limited time on that side. Just raise your right knee up to prevent a roll.

You get used to it. Another part of the new you.

Hey... Biscuit! 😀

Oh behave!

That's not a trick. That's a case of being in a coma. Herman Munster sleeps that way..👍

Not me. I gotta roll every now and then but usually end up on my back. Tossing and turning isn't too bad. Bend at the knee on one side to prevent a squash-pop. Damn.. been there. Hated that..

A t-shirt worn keeps the bag close and sometimes acts as an insulator when things go snap.. crackle.. pop. Still gets soaked, but it's like a "wet" alarm.. when you feel that wetness, you just automatically jump out of bed and run to the loo.

No pillows were ever used or soiled in these events..

You can still pop a bag on your back with enough gas and a pooled soaked wafer/ring. As you lay like that. With two pillows at each side.. no thanks.

I would think a few tosses and turns would prevent pooling around the stoma. If you eat right, no real gas forms.. but then your shit does give off methane.

Another good reason not to smoke in bed. 🤣😂.

I lay on my stomach all the time, but to allow for output or gas to fill my pouch, I bend my leg on whichever side I'm favoring/laying to allow a little space for my pouch to fill (to avoid my bag pressure building up and popping off and causing a mess). That's at least how I deal with it. The pillow thing also sounds like a viable option and would allow a little pressure release and for it to fill if need be, too. Hope all that makes sense, and regardless of what you decide, good luck!