It will be very helpful if you can try to establish a routine for changing your stoma pouch – a good rule of thumb is to change your pouch at a time when your ostomy is relatively inactive – many find that first thing in the morning is a good time. Frequency of changes depends on many things, however, you must always change your ostomy pouch if you feel itching or burning from the skin surrounding your stoma.
Because an ileostomy bypasses the large intestine (where water is drained from the faeces to turn it solid), the output will be liquid. That means the pouch will need to be emptied typically 4-6 times a day (and it may also need to be emptied during the night).
Is changing or emptying the pouch difficult?
For the first few times, changing or emptying your pouch can seem quite challenging. Make sure that the first couple of times you try emptying or changing the pouch, you do it somewhere you feel safe and comfortable.
Take your time – and remember that it's okay if you don't get it right every time at first. Even though it may take some time getting used to, it will eventually become easier to get into a routine.
Before use, always consult the 'Instructions for use' document delivered with the products