The Bristol Stool Chart is a simple way to describe what poo looks like.
For parents and family members, that can be surprisingly useful. “Hard little lumps” or “watery and urgent” tells a clearer story than “not normal”. It can also help you notice whether a stool change happened once or has become a pattern.
The chart does not diagnose the reason for constipation, diarrhoea or tummy pain. It is a shared language for describing stool consistency.
Bristol Stool Chart types 1 to 7
| Type | What it looks like | Parent-friendly note |
|---|---|---|
| Type 1 | Separate hard lumps | Can be hard to pass and may suggest constipation if repeated |
| Type 2 | Sausage-shaped but lumpy | Can also be a constipation pattern if repeated |
| Type 3 | Sausage-like with cracks | Often easier to pass |
| Type 4 | Smooth, soft sausage or snake | Often described as an ideal soft stool |
| Type 5 | Soft blobs with clear edges | Usually easy to pass, but context matters |
| Type 6 | Mushy or fluffy pieces | May be loose, especially if repeated |
| Type 7 | Watery, no solid pieces | May be diarrhoea or overflow in some constipation contexts |
NHS-linked children’s bowel guidance commonly describes types 3 and 4 as soft and easier to pass. Types 1 and 2 are often the ones parents are asked to watch when constipation is a concern.
Is Type 4 always ideal?
Type 4 is often used as the “easy to pass” example, but children are not machines. A child may move between nearby types depending on food, fluid, illness, routine, toilet withholding, travel or stress.
One stool is a snapshot. A repeated pattern tells more.
Instead of worrying about one entry, look for:
- several hard, painful poos
- repeated watery or very loose stools
- accidents or soiling
- tummy pain alongside stool changes
- blood with hard stools
- a big change from your child’s usual pattern
What if my child’s stool changes daily?
Daily changes can happen. That is why a short stool diary is more useful than a single memory.
For each bowel movement, you might log:
- date and rough time
- Bristol type
- pain, straining or urgency
- accidents, soiling or withholding
- food, fluid, medicine, sleep or illness context
- any blood, mucus, unusual colour or strong smell
Keep notes simple. For example:
Monday afternoon: Type 2, hard to pass, cried a little. Had less water than usual.
Or:
Thursday morning: Type 6, urgent, tummy pain before nursery.
Bristol chart for toddlers vs babies
The Bristol Stool Chart works best once a child is passing formed stools. Babies in nappies, especially before solids, often need different wording because breastfed poo can be runny and formula poo can be firmer without fitting the chart neatly.
Acornio keeps this distinction in mind: Bristol-style stool logging for older children and adults, and simpler nappy-style descriptions for babies where that fits better.
When to speak to a GP
Speak to a GP, health visitor, doctor or paediatrician if your child’s stool pattern is consistently hard, painful, watery, very frequent, very infrequent, or worrying to you.
Also seek advice if your child has blood in their poo, signs of dehydration, severe or worsening pain, vomiting, weight or growth concerns, or seems very unwell.
The chart can help you explain what you are seeing. It does not tell you the cause.
How Acornio helps
Acornio lets you log stool consistency alongside symptoms, food, medicine and notes, then review the timeline over days or weeks.
That makes it easier to say:
We logged hard stools five times over two weeks, mostly in the evenings.
And harder to fall into:
I think it was bad every day, but I am not sure.
Clearer observations can make healthcare conversations calmer.