Contraction timer: length, spacing and when to leave for the hospital

Time the contractions

Press once as the tightening starts, once as it eases. The tool works out everything else.

The question this answers

As labour nears, one question circles the house: 'when do we leave?' The usual answer lives in the contraction pattern — how far apart, how long, and for how long the pattern has held.

Tracking that with a wristwatch and paper, mid-contraction, is nearly impossible. This tool keeps the ledger: each contraction's length, the gap between them, the past hour's averages — and a clear banner when a pattern forms.

The common threshold is 5-1-1: contractions five minutes apart, each about a minute long, holding for an hour. That's the time to call. But if your doctor gave you different instructions — second baby, long drive, planned caesarean — theirs override this.

False labour versus the real thing

Tightenings that come and go in the last weeks are common — Braxton Hicks, or 'false labour'. They're irregular, don't intensify, and usually fade with a change of position, a walk or a glass of water.

True labour runs the other way: it becomes regular, the gaps shrink, each contraction outdoes the last, and rest doesn't stop it. Pain that starts in the back and wraps forward is another mark of the real thing.

On paper the difference is obvious — which is why timing helps. Half an hour of readings usually settles it. And when in doubt, call: coming home with a 'false alarm' embarrasses nobody.

What to do while the pattern builds

No pattern yet? Do what the banner says: drink water, walk if you feel like it, rest if you can. Early labour runs for hours and you'll want that strength later.

Have the bag, the papers — the test file, prescriptions, ID, the hospital card — and the ride sorted in advance. Who drives, who to call if the car falls through (108 for emergencies), the night route: these decisions don't belong in the middle of contractions.

Eat light. In a long early labour, small snacks and sips keep your strength up — unless your hospital has told you otherwise.

Forget the clock — call immediately for these

Some situations make the timing irrelevant. They stay printed below the timer, never hidden behind a result.

Waters breaking — especially green or brown fluid; any bleeding; reduced movements; pain that doesn't ease between contractions; severe headache with blurred vision or sudden swelling; fever; or regular contractions before 37 completed weeks.

Any of those: stop timing and call now. Night or holiday — the labour ward is open around the clock precisely for this.

The record stays on your phone

The log is saved in your phone's browser — never sent to us. A locked phone, a reloaded tab, or a dead spot on the highway loses nothing.

At the hospital, 'Copy the list' puts the whole record on the clipboard to show the nurse. 'Since when, and how far apart?' is admission's first question — a written answer beats a guess.

After the delivery, hit 'Clear and start over' — a clean slate for next time.

Questions

Q: My waters broke but there are no contractions — now what? — Don't wait to time anything; call the hospital. After the waters break, infection risk rises with every hour, so you go in even without pain.

Q: Second baby — does 5-1-1 still apply? — Second labours often run faster. Many doctors say leave earlier — at ten-minute gaps, even. Ask yours in advance and use their number.

Q: The contractions became regular, then stopped. What was that? — Probably false labour, or early labour pausing — both normal. Restart the timer if it resumes; if movements are normal, there's nothing to fear.

Q: The pain is unbearable but the gaps are still long — do I wait? — No. Thresholds are tools, not walls. If the pain is beyond you, or something simply feels wrong, call and go. The worst outcome is arriving early.