The stool from an ileostomy contains large amounts of salt, water and digestives enzymes. The stool can vary from very liquid to thick, like toothpaste. The amount of stool which will pass through your stoma will vary for each person, but most people will pass about 600-1200 ml every day. You will not be able to stop and start the flow of stool or gas. The flow of stool will probably be fairly often and will usually pass 1-4 hours after you eat.

How much stool you pass depends on how much you eat and drink, and the types of food and fluid you take in. You should empty your pouch when it is 1/3 full, which is about 4-6 times in 24 hours.

Depending on the reason for you surgery and ileostomy, you may or may not have some of your large bowel and/or rectum still in your body. If you do have some of your colon or rectum, you may continue to pass some mucous from your rectum. This is normal. The mucous that you pass may be clear, brown, pink or yellow in color. How often you will pass mucous varies. Ask your surgeon oe ET Nurse to explain your surgery and if the passage of mucous from your rectum is expected. If you've ad your rectum removed, you may sometimes feel as though you have to go to the bathroom, even though it is not physically possible. This feeling usually goes away after awhile.

Large volumes of certain foods, including those with fibers, may cause blockage in the small bowel after ileostomy surgery. The fibers in fibrous fruits and vegetables can be broken down by cooking, chewing, or cutting the food finely. While small amounts are usually tolerated, you may want to limit your fiber intake during the first 6 weeks after surgery, the resume with caution.

Please consult your healthcare professional or dietician for more information.

Example of foods to limit in your diet for 4-6 weeks after your surgery:
- Stringy, fibrous fruits and vegetables (eg. corn, celery, aspargus, cauliflower, cucumber, melon, lettuce, tomatoes, oranges, grapefruit, etc).
- Products made with whole grain flours and those that contain nuts, seeds and dried fruits (eg. some cereals, cornmeal, rice, crunchy peanut butter)
- Non-digestible peels (eg. potato skins, apple peels, tomato and grape skins)
- Legumes and lentils, dried beans, peas, soybeans
- Popcorn
- Whole spices

Unless your doctor wants you to continue to limit these foods, you can slowly add these foods and return to a nomal diet 4-6 weeks after you've recovered from your operation. If a certain food bothered you before your operation, there's a good chance it still will. If you want to try this food, eat a small portion to see if you can tolerate it. If you experience cramping, diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, call your healthcare professional.

You might want to limit foods that can cause odor and gas if you know you're going to be in a situation where odor and gas could be a problem for you. It doesn't mean you can't eat those foods. As with normal bowel function, there will always be gas and odor with your stool. It can take 2-4 jours after a meal or gas forming beverage for the gas to appear in your pouch. You can try to decrease gas and odor by changing your food and eating habits.

Source : Convatec Patient Guide