Labor Contraction Timer

What the timer records

Each time you tap, the timer notes the exact time from your device’s clock. From those taps it works out three things for every contraction:

• Length: from the moment the contraction started to the moment it ended.
• Start to start: from the start of the previous contraction to the start of this one. This is how most providers and childbirth educators count “how far apart” contractions are.
• Rest before: the break between the end of the previous contraction and the start of this one.

Above the table you see two plain summaries: the averages for your last six contractions, and how many you timed in the last hour with their averages. You can mark a contraction that felt stronger, undo a tap, or delete a row that was a mis-tap. Rows shorter than five seconds are flagged so they are easy to spot.

What 5-1-1 means and where it comes from

“5-1-1” is shorthand many childbirth classes use: contractions about 5 minutes apart, each lasting about 1 minute, for about 1 hour. It is a teaching aid, not a medical rule, and providers give different instructions depending on your history, how far you live from the hospital and whether this is your first baby.

The American College of Nurse-Midwives patient handout “Am I in Labor?” lists, among its reasons to go to the hospital or call your health care provider, contractions that “have been 5 minutes apart or less for at least 1 hour,” contractions so painful you cannot walk or talk during one, and your bag of waters breaking. March of Dimes describes true labor contractions as lasting about 60 to 90 seconds and getting stronger and closer together over time.

The timer shows your numbers next to this explanation but never compares them for you. Use the space on the printout to write down the instructions your own provider gives you.

When to call your provider

You do not need a pattern on a timer to call. March of Dimes says: “If you think you’re in labor, call your healthcare provider, no matter what time of day or night.” It also says to contact your provider right away if you have signs of labor before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

The ACNM handout adds other reasons to call or go in: bleeding like a period, sudden severe pain, your baby not moving for several hours, or leaking green fluid. Its closing rule is simple: “If you are very concerned about something, call.”

How to read your log

When you call, your provider will usually ask how long your contractions are lasting, how far apart they are, and for how long they have been like that. The two summaries answer the first two questions; the table and the start times answer the third.

Early contractions are often irregular, so a single short gap does not say much on its own. That is why the log keeps every contraction rather than only the latest one. Intro to Childbirth and Preparing for Your Hospital Birth both cover early labor at home and the conversations you will have when you arrive.

Print or keep your contraction log

Press Print to get a one-page log with your summaries, every contraction and space for your provider’s instructions and phone number. Most phones and computers can save the printout as a PDF if you would rather keep it digitally.

Nothing is uploaded. The log lives in this open page, so keep the tab open while you time; press “Save on this device” to keep it for later, or print it before you close the page. If you try to leave the page with contractions in the log, your browser will ask you first.