Sleeping on Front with Colostomy - Safety Concerns?

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone here is able to sleep on their front with a colostomy?

I have been finding myself rolling over in the middle of the night. Is it safe? Will I damage the stoma?

Thank you

Hello Rosherau.

This subject has been raised before and the general concensus was that it is unlikely to cause and damage to the stoma. There were comments about pancaking but that can happen no matter what position you are in. 

I hope this puts your mind at rest.

Best wishes

Bill

I was scared for quite a while about sleeping on my front as I was picturing horror stories of my bag bursting all over me and my bed. After a while, I decided to just sleep as I would without a stoma as a good sleep is so important to me! I have not had any problems and don't worry anymore.

Thanks, Becki.

So, it's no problem the pressure against the stoma of lying on the front, as in, it won't damage it or reverse it?

Thanks.

Hello, I was one of the ones who asked the question. Answering from the colostomy side, no, you will not harm it. As stated above, there is pancaking, but using nice warm water will loosen it very easily. Just make sure the bag is secure before you go to sleep if it's a two-piece.

Getting Support in the Ostomy Community with LeeAnne Hayden | Hollister

Hi, I have had my ileostomy since February 17, 2017. At first, it was hard to sleep in any position due to being scared it would burst, and it has four times, but slowly I was able to sleep on my front, but with a lot of trial and error. Now I always make sure I empty several times a night. And I like using a body pillow to give me a little lift on my right side. I find it gives me a sense of security and I am not applying all my weight on my pouch.

A colostomy is much easier than an ileostomy for stomach sleeping, as your body tends to find its rhythm after a while. I usually don't have very much (if any) output during the night, but it kind of floods out first thing in the morning as I'm having my coffee! LOL! Also, I have slept in a water bed since the '80s (still do - will NEVER give it up!), and that tends to put less pressure on the stoma than sleeping on a mattress. Just let yourself sleep however your body wants, and you will get a good night's sleep, and the very few times something happens, you deal with it. Accidents will eventually happen to most everyone, and you just clean up and go on with your life. (Helps that I raised 2 kids, so poop in the bed is nothing new!)

Seriously, long before I had an ostomy, I've had stomach viruses that left both poop and throw-up in the bed. It's awful, yes, but not the end of the world (you just think it is while it's happening).

Good reply Dana, thanks. The water bed sounds like a good option. I recently just bought an Altex mattress - super foamy, soft but also firm. I'll investigate the differences between the two.