This topic is about figuring out the right time to order a StealthBelt for someone who has a permanent ileostomy. The person is wondering when their stoma size will be stable enough to make this purchase confidently. They are also curious about when it might be safe to switch from using cut-to-fit flanges to pre-cut ones. Here are some helpful points to consider:

1. The size of the StealthBelt is determined by the diameter of your pouch’s flange (also known as the wafer), not the stoma itself.

2. Check how much extra room you have left in your current cut-to-fit barrier:
- If there is still space to make the hole a bit larger, it should be safe to order a belt that matches your current flange size.
- If you are already cutting the hole to the maximum size allowed by the smallest barrier, consider moving up to the next larger barrier with a larger flange first, and then order your StealthBelt for that flange size.

3. Remember, you can always trim a barrier hole to make it smaller, but you cannot make it larger beyond its limit. So, it’s a good idea to leave some room for growth before deciding on a belt or pre-cut flange size.