When you order your ostomy pouching system, you start your order based on your stoma size. That helps the company know what size baseplate to send you. There are also different ostomy pouch sizes you can choose from to accommodate many different lifestyles and preferences. One thing to make sure of is that if you wear a two piece, you order a pouch with the connector size that fits your baseplate. This should be pretty easy to figure out from your distribution company’s website but you can give them a call to confirm if you’re not sure.
People who irrigate their colostomy can wear a stoma cap. Stoma caps are also handy for other ostomates for short periods of time when no output is expected and you want to be as discreet as possible. An example of a stoma cap being handy would be if you were competing in a fitness competition or during intimacy.
Most manufacturers make small pouches (mini) that can be opted for intimate times or other activities, though for people with an ileostomy or urostomy, they might not be practical as your go-to pouch.
Many manufacturers also make larger sized pouches that you can order. These might be handy if you have a lot of output at night and want a good night’s sleep.
Trying out a couple different ostomy pouch sizes is the best way to figure out what works for you. You can always order samples so that you have multiple ostomy pouch sizes to experiment with. The general rule of thumb is that people with an ileostomy or urostomy will often want a standard size bag during the day and possibly a larger size to swap to at night. People with a colostomy can sometimes get away with a slightly smaller bag because the output from colostomies is often less frequent.
