Few Things to Know About Pregnancy with an Ostomy

Pregnancy with an ostomy seems like a difficult affair but it is not actually the case. Many women get really concerned about the impact of their ostomy on their pregnancies. What’s more important to note here is that you can ensure trouble-free expecting months with the help of a few precautions.

A few things that you may have to know about in this regard are worth mentioning here.

Intestinal obstruction

Ileostomy can lead to the episodes of intestinal obstruction during pregnancy. This obstruction tends to happen when intestinal contents are kept from flowing further into the GI tract due to enlarging uterus. Due to this reason, the wastes are kept from flowing into the ostomy bag.

You can switch to fluid intake and have a bit of rest to get relief. But if the problem persists, you can contact your doctor.

Morning sickness

Morning sickness is one of the pregnancy norms. But in case of an ostomy, this sickness can be more than just an irritation. For this very reason, you are going to have to increase your fluid intake. Switching to small and frequent meals instead of rich and greasy foods is also a recommendation here. If your sickness is persistent and it is keeping you from food and fluid intake, you need to consult your doctor.

Infections

Pregnant women with urostomies are more prone to kidney infections. The best way to keep such infections at bay is to drink plenty of water. You are going to get your urine tested during every prenatal visit but you need to call your doctor instantly if you feel that you have a urinary infection. You may get a prescription of antibiotics.

Prenatal exercises

It is very important to remain committed to your prenatal exercises. But you might be concerned if you have an ostomy. Remember, an ostomy doesn’t have to be an interruption to your prenatal classes and exercises. But make sure that you empty your pouch before going to the classes.

Stoma changes

Changes occur with enlargement of your abdomen during pregnancy. And that’s where you might have to modify your pouching system. For instance, you may not need convexity at a particular stage of pregnancy. You can contact your stoma care nurse to know more about what you can do to ensure maximum effectiveness of your ostomy pouching system.

What Are the Most Common Reasons for a Urostomy Surgery?

There can be many reasons you might need a urostomy surgery. Nonetheless, almost all of those reasons fall under the categories of illnesses, which can be both acute and chronic, and certain forms of trauma. Whatever the reason may be, the point to be concerned about here is all about the damaged bladder which gets out of function to support proper urine excretion.

One major thing, which is also the reason not to get overly conscious about urostomy, to consider is that thousands of people have got it. The main purpose of this procedure is to get the urine out of your body through a new path just because your normal urination system is not helping you anymore. So the procedure of urostomy is all about helping you to become healthy and active again. Yes, this procedure is going to bring a change in your life and yes, you might not like this change; but you can take comfort by keeping one thing in mind that it is more than just a possibility to not letting your urostomy to become an obstacle in whatever you want to do to be healthy. After all, it’s better to get the problem fixed rather than to worry about the consequences of an impaired system.

A few reasons you may need a urostomy are worth talking about.

Bladder cancer

Starting with the good news; a slight decline in the cases of bladder cancer has been noticed in the recent years. However, it is still the fourth most common type of cancer in men. If this cancer leads to the requirement of removal of entire or a part of urinary system, urostomy becomes a necessity.

Trauma

Traumas that tend to disable the urination system are usually the reasons a person might need immediate urostomay surgery. Blunt force trauma or injuries due to penetration of something into the abdomen can cause serious damage to the bladder.

Congenital issue

In certain cases, the inability of bladder to help in passing out urine is a congenital issue. This issue can lead to the urine backing up into the kidneys, making the problem worse, even leading to the fatality if the issue remains untreated. Urostomy is a life-saving procedure for such children.

Repeated infections

A defective bladder can result in incontinence or chronic uritary tract infections. Your doctor may recommend urostomy surgery to help you get rid of such infections.

 

There can be a number of reasons for you needing a urostomy surgery. And there are going to be clear symptoms which you can notice to figure out that there is something wrong with your urinary tract. In any case, you have to contact your healthcare team to get the problem diagnosed and resolved before it starts doing further damage.