What is normal?

The normal defecation rate for an adult is between three bowel movements per day to three bowel movements per week.  If you are going less than three times a week and are experiencing pain, discomfort and straining on passing a motion, you are probably constipated.

Since it can be hard to state what is normal and what is abnormal, some doctors use a scale to classify the type of stool passed.  This helps assess how long the stool has spent in the bowel.  One such scale is called the Bristol Stool Form Scale.  Type 1 has spent the longest in the bowel and type 7 the least time.  You can download a copy of the Bristol Stool Form Scale here, which has been kindly provided by Norgine Limited.

Stools at the lumpy end of the scale are hard to pass and often require a lot of straining.

Stools at the loose or liquid end of the spectrum can be too easy to pass – the need to pass them is urgent and accidents can happen.

The ideal stools are types 4 and 5, as they are most likely to glide out easily and are least likely to leave you with an annoying feeling that something is left behind.