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The immersion procedure depends on how continent the colostomy is. If the woman is concerned about the possibility of leakage into the water, she should immerse the mikveh with the bag in place. She is not required to fast or to take medication to avoid the possibility of leakage.

If she has some control over the discharges and feels confident that there will be no leakage during the few minutes in the mikveh, then she should immerse without the bag.

In any case, she should clean well around the stoma (the opening where the bag attaches to her body) before immersion.

If it is easier for her, she can dip just once in the mikveh, even if her usual custom has been to dip multiple times. If she follows Ashkenazi customs, she should recite the bracha after the immersion.

The infection control issues should be discussed with the mikveh attendant in advance. Depending on the water purification system, it might be best for her to be the last one to use the mikveh and for the water to be changed before the next day. If there is a filtration system, it is probably still best for her to be last to immerse, but it may not be necessary to change the water.

This response was updated on 28 September, 2025.