Stretching Your Pouch?

 I am at the end of my second week, post op, and I'm on blended stage. My doctor prescribes 2 oz of food, 6 X a day. At night, I will still have 3 "meals" left, so I will have like 2 oz mashed potatoes and then an hour later have 2 more oz. 

Doing this, is it possible to stretch my pouch?

I finally feel a little full/weird after eating those two servings so close together. 

Also, how is it possible to stretch your pouch? I sometimes eat a spoonful or 2 more than an oz (no more than half an oz more). Would that be possible to stretch it?

Is there a certain period of time after surgery that stretching it is a concern?

Steph 

Please do NOT worry about stretching your pouch!  Your pouch is made out of one of the least stretchy portions of the stomach and is DIFFICULT to stretch.  The only way to stretch it is to consistently overeat significantly.  (Even with the consistent overeating, iut is the stoma not the pouch that migth stretch.) You are so new out that you will make yourself physcially ill and cause physical PAIN before you can eat enough to stretch your pouch.  You should, however, spread your meals out throughout the day because it helps keep your metabolism up and keesp your blood sugar more stable throughout the day.

My surgeon said that less than 20% of the people she orders a EGD on (who are several years aout and are gaining weight and THINK they have stretched their pouch or stoma) actually HAVE stretched anything beyond what is normal and expected (and ti is almost always the stoma that is enlarged). (We would starve to death, after all, if we could only eat a couple of ounces at a time for the rest of our lives!)

Lora

don't plan on feeling full for a while.  The nerves were cut and you won't feel anything until you are WAY too full. 

We were also on 6 meals at that point.  Space them out, like one ever 2.5-3 hrs.  2oz of food is 1/4c.  Your meals should be protein at this point, so cottage cheese, yogurt, cream soup made with milk, etc. 

We were also told if we seemed full, stop eating.  If it is a bite or the whole 2 oz, stop if you feel full.

Remember to stop drinking about 15 min before you eat and for 30 min after. 

You didn't mention protein.  Hopefully you are getting at least 2-3 protein drinks in a day.

 Your pouch will eventually stretch.

Not now.

Months, years away from now. 

If you make it a habit to eat your prescribed portions, do not overdo it, and keep satisifed, you should be able to maintiain a sense of satiety for a while.  

A fully mature RNY pouch can be 9-11 ounces at many years post op.  We can eat quite a bit.

 Thank you Lora, Price S, and M m for your responses!! 

This information is wonderful, and really takes a load off  my mind! I was stressing that I might somehow mess it up, but as long as it happens naturally, that sounds fine to me!! 

Thank you for the great information!! It was very helpful!

Steph