8 Facts Every Woman Should Know About Pooping

8 Facts Every Woman Should Know About Pooping



Let's talk about poop—seriously. It's something we've talked about before, so chances are, you already know when your movements look or smell weird (if you need a refresher, here are 7 things your poop says about you). But what about the way you go #2—how long it takes, how often you go, how you sit on the toilet...you get the idea. We consulted a few trusty gastroenterologists to get the facts straight. Here's what they had to say about your pooping habits.

There's No Rule That Says You Have to Go Once a Day

"On average, people go once or twice a day," says Felice Schnoll-Sussman, M.D., director of the Jay Monahan Center for Gastrointestinal Health at New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine. "But many people go way more." And not pooping for a day, two, or even three can also be fine. In short, if you feel OK—no upset stomach, no trouble making it to the bathroom on time—then you probably don't need to worry.

"The rule with pooping is there's no such thing as normal—just normal from one person's perspective," says Schnoll-Sussman. So what if you're a once-a-day pooper who's suddenly going three or four times a day? Schnoll-Sussman says that it could be as simple as your diet (eat some sketchy meat recently?) or as complex as an infectious diarrheal disease. It could even be a good change; maybe you've started eating more fiber, for example. The important thing is to go to your doctor if your new pooping schedule gives you a constant upset stomach or your frequent bathroom trips start to make social situations, umm, awkward.