Katryna, living with an ileostomy: I tend to shower without my bag on, completely naked, so that I can get a good wash around my stoma and really get the skin nice and clean. Then I will put my bag on once I’ve had my shower.
Your ostomy is in many ways like getting a completely new body part - it does take a while to get used to something "new" being there. The swelling should already be reduced, but it could still be a little larger than normal.
A little blood is not unusual
The ostomy tissue is very similar to the inside of your mouth – however, it's not sensitive at all, and the red colour is normal and does not indicate pain or inflammation, as you'll notice when you touch it.
It could bleed a little because blood vessels are very close to the surface, but that's normal - just like the tissue inside your mouth bleeds easily.
Refrain from using soap when cleaning
You should obviously handle your ostomy with care, but there is no need to be afraid of touching it. To clean it, simply use tap water and soft medical wipes or soft cotton wool.
The ostomy tissue and the skin around it doesn't need soap for cleansing, and in fact, soap could irritate it - as could baby wipes.
Taking a bath with an ostomy
Showering and bathing will not damage neither ostomy nor pouching system, so you can shower with or without your pouch as you please – as long as you remember to keep soap, oils or creams etc. away from the ostomy.
Let your ostomy and the surrounding skin dry carefully before you cover it – and that's actually all you need to do. You could use soft non-woven swabs to gently stop any output dripping while allowing your skin to dry.
