Contraction Timer
When contractions start, the question is rarely whether they hurt. It is whether the pattern has changed enough to mean something. Here is what to measure, what the numbers mean, and what to say when you call.
Baaby for iPhone will let you time your contractions, one-handed, with the screen off. Leave your email and we will tell you the day it is ready.
Duration
How long one contraction lasts, from the first tightening to the moment it lets go. In active labor this is usually around sixty to ninety seconds.
Frequency
The gap from the start of one contraction to the start of the next. Measuring end to start is the most common mistake, and it makes the gaps look longer than they are.
| Real labor | Braxton Hicks | |
|---|---|---|
| Pattern | Regular, and tightening up | Irregular |
| Over time | Longer and stronger | Stays about the same |
| If you move | Keeps going | Often settles |
| Where | Back and lower belly | Usually front only |
This page is general information, not medical advice. Your provider will tell you the pattern they want you to call on, and that instruction comes first.
Two things. The length of each contraction, from the moment it starts to the moment it eases, and the gap between them, measured from the start of one to the start of the next. That second one catches people out: you measure start to start, not end to start.
Contractions five minutes apart, each lasting one minute, holding that pattern for one hour. It is the most common guideline for when to head in with a first baby. Some providers use 4-1-1 or 3-1-1, and if you have given birth before you may be told to come in sooner.
Real labor contractions get longer, stronger, and closer together, and they keep going whatever you do. Braxton Hicks are irregular, do not intensify, and usually settle if you change position, empty your bladder, or drink some water.
Call right away if your water breaks, if you have any bleeding, if your baby's movement drops, if you have a fever, or if the pain is constant rather than coming in waves. Also call if you are under 37 weeks and contractions are becoming regular.
No. Time a stretch of them when the pattern seems to be changing, then put it down. What your provider wants to hear is the pattern over the last hour, not a complete record of the day.
While you are here: pack your hospital bag and write your birth plan.