I was pregnant with an end ileo and no pouch, so not exactly the same as you Erin, but I had similar concerns about pulling on the ostomy. I did have an obstruction in month 5, but once that passed everything was fine. No ostomy issues at all, except that I had to stop the convex wafers right around month 5 as my belly got bigger.

Also, be prepared to change your appliance probably the day after the c-section...I ended up with a big leak and couldn't figure out why till I realized my belly was much smaller!

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences. I am PETRIFIED of having the c-section but it's such a relief to hear that it won't be so bad. I'm scared of being awake knowing that they are going to cut me open. I also do not want to hear them talk about the instruments used. I may request for them not to talk about it much either.

Most hospitals will allow you to wear headphones into the OR...I used a mind body program and had my headphones on for the first part of the operation. I unplugged once my husband told me Alex was just about to arrive. The headphones allowed me to practice my relaxation and ensured I didn't hear much of what was going on.

Once again, thanks for all the great info. I'm truly grateful to hear about your experiences. It definitely eases some of my anxiety.

Speaking of which - JillM, Just curious about the mind/body program you used. I went through an 8 week mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) program over the summer for which I also have relaxation meditations on my iPod. Glad to hear I'll probably be able to bring it into the OR!

BabyandLJ - May I ask where you're delivering? I live in the Allentown area and just delivered @ LVH Cedar Crest - Dr. Macntyre did my c-section. He was awesome.

If you're delivering @ the same hospital and have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in contact w/ me. I had a great experience there.