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A person’s rectum, which is usually around 20 centimeters (cm) long, can hold up to 300 milliliters (mL) of feces before someone typically feels an urge to poop. However, research suggests that the ...

While holding a bowel movement occasionally should not cause any health problems, holding in poop for a long period may cause discomfort and constipation. When holding in stool leads to chronic ...