How much liquid should my new pouch hold?

I am a new post-op and will be one month out on Sept. 6.  I think my food consumption is ok but I can drink quite a bit and am worried about stretching out my pouch or the connection from my pouch to my intestine.  Can anyone please tell me if drinking 12 oz over 30 minutes is ok?  It doesn't hurt or cause any problems to drink this much.  Water does hurt my pouch, but drinks like Crystal Light and milk don't hurt...what gives with that?  I loved water before surgery but can't hardly drink it now because it hurts so much.  Weird, huh?    Thanks for your help! Julie

Hi Julie,  Congrats on almost 1 month out. That's fantastic! 64 ounces of fluid is the recommendation for a whole day.  It's very interesting about the water. Do you notice a difference if it's really cold or not? Keep in mind that your body is very sensitive and you are basically learning to eat and drink all over again (like a baby/toddler). So be patient w/ yourself!! I'm hoping water will soon again be tolerated for you. Drinking 12 oz over 30 minutes is perfectly safe and shouldn't stretch out your pouch. Remember to drink liquids 30-60 minutes before or after meals.  Good luck and congrats again on almost 1 month out! I'm glad to hear that the food part is going smoothly for you! Take care, Jeanne, RD, enutritioncare.com

I sort of have that problem.   When I am trying to drink water, I can hardly get in an ounce an hour. When I am drinking skim milk, I have gotten distracted and drank 8 ounces in an hour. I have done this 3 or 4 times, so I hope and pray I haven't stretched my pouch out either.

I think you are just fine, but run it by your MD and see what he/she thinks. 8oz. in an hour is totally acceptable. Jeanne Barnett, RD, enutritioncare.com