Bag your routine

Hear from Kate our Clinical Advisor

Removing your pouch

 

Applying your pouch

 

From A Bigger Life

The bathroom is a good place to change your pouch. Empty your drainable used pouch into the toilet first, if it needs emptying. Make sure you will have everything you need immediately to hand.

Removing your pouch

It is important you have everything ready before you start. You will need a cloth to protect your clothes, water for washing your skin, disposal bag to put all of your rubbish into, a measuring guide for measuring your stoma (for the first 6-8 weeks), a pair of scissors for cutting out your new pouch and some adhesive remover spray for taking your bag off.

• Use your adhesive spray to peel off your pouch.
• Fold the bag over on itself to seal it closed and put into your disposal bag.
• Use a tissue to remove excess faeces from your stoma and your peristomal skin.
• Use a wet cloth to wash your skin.
• Use a dry cloth to dry your skin.
• Your skin and stoma is ready for applying your new pouch.

Applying your pouch

Measure your stoma using your measuring guide. Within the first 6-8 weeks your stoma will continue to change in shape and size. Measure your stoma once a week and cut some new pouches out in advance of your change. This will prevent you from having to measure your stoma before every pouch change.

• On the back of your pouch find the most appropriate size according to what you have measured.
• Use your scissors to cut out the appropriate size following it the whole way around the pouch.
• Remove the backing of the bag.
• Fold your bag in half lining it up at the bottom and fold it over the stoma.
• Put the heat of your hand over the bag for a couple of seconds so that your pouch is secure on your skin.

Your skin and stoma is ready for applying your new pouch.