What is the normal number of times to wee and poo a day?
In this article we will describe what is the normal number of times to wee and poo a day.
The short answer is .. there is no ‘normal’ number of times to wee and poo a day. There is a normal range which we will expand on.
Wee
Frequency of weeing (urination)
Most people wee between 5 and 7 times each day, depending on fluid intake – the more you drink, the more you wee. But older people who don’t drink a lot, may pass urine 3-4 times a day; or a lot of times, if they do not have control of their bladder, or have a urine infection.
Volume
The average adult human bladder volume is 300 (200-400) mls, i.e. quite small – a can of coke.
Total wee (urine) volume a day
So this will lead to a daily wee (urine) volume of say 6x 300 mls = about 1.8L (call it 2L). This is based on drinking 2.5L a day. The other 500 mls drunk leaves the body as ‘insensible loss’ = water loss via other means, e.g. poo, breath and sweat.
Wee colour
Normal wee may be anything from clear to dark yellow. Foods such as beetroot can turn the urine pink or red. This will clear. But repeated blood in the urine should be reported to your doctor. It is a red flag symptom.
How much should you drink?
There is no normal (or desired) fluid intake. But about 2.5L is fine. If you drink more than that, you will urinate more times a day.
Click here to read more about how much you should drink a day.
Poo
Frequency of pooing (defaecation)
Most people poo once a day, twice a day or every other day. But four times a day, or once a week, can be normal too.
Poo size
A normal stool size is at least a couple inches in length, and ideally between four and eight inches. Tiny poos are not ideal. You should not be pooing out pellets either. [“unless you are a rabbit.” CKDEx Ed]
Poo shape
People use a lot of different expressions when they talk about having a poo (doctors oddly often call them a ‘bowel movement’). But in terms of accuracy, the ones comparing poo to logs are probably the closest.
The healthiest shape for a poo is a long cylinder. When poo takes on other shapes, or is runny, it indicates something could be going on with your digestive system, and you may need to see a doctor.
Poo firmness or consistency
Ideally, your stool should be somewhere between firm and soft. Thankfully you can figure this out just by looking at it [“phew, I am glad there is no need to touch it” CKDE Ed]. If your poo is a well-formed log and it wasn’t too hard to squeeze out, it is the right consistency.
Poo colour
What is a normal stool colour? Normal poo is brown and comes in every shade from tan to espresso. The brown colour is largely due to bile and bilirubin. Black poo should be reported to your doctor. It can be due to bleeding in the stomach or bowel (or iron tablets).
What is ‘constipation’ and ‘diarrhoea’?
Neither have a precise definition. And there is not a medical definition either.
‘Constipation’ usually means difficulty having a poo. But this can mean less frequent poos or increased difficulty in getting the poo out.
‘Diarrhoea’ can mean runny poo, or increased frequency of poo, or both.
It is better to describe to the doctor exactly what you mean by constipation or diarrhoea.
Summary
We have described what is the normal number of times to wee and poo a day. There is no normal. We hope it has been helpful.
Last Reviewed on 31 October 2023