The 5-1-1 rule is a simple way to describe a contraction pattern: contractions about 5 minutes apart, each lasting about 1 minute, holding steady for at least 1 hour. The three numbers are frequency, duration, and how long the pattern has lasted. It is shorthand people use, not a directive.
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Tap start when one begins.
Many families learn about a 5-1-1 pattern: contractions roughly five minutes apart, each lasting about a minute, holding that way for about an hour. That is general information, not a rule and not advice. Your provider or doula is your guide for what your own timing means.
This timer is a convenience, not a medical device. It does not diagnose, monitor, or advise, and nothing here is saved or sent anywhere. For any concern about your labor, contact your care provider or local emergency services.
Read left to right: how far apart, how long, and for how long the pattern has held.
Labor is a moment when clear words are hard to find. A short, memorable pattern gives people a steady way to describe what is happening, to a partner, a doula, or a provider, without scrambling for the right numbers mid-contraction. That is all 5-1-1 is: a shared shorthand.
You may also hear 4-1-1 or 3-1-1. The middle and last numbers stay the same; the first simply describes contractions closer together. Which pattern matters for you is something your own care provider will talk through with you, because it depends on your pregnancy, not on a rule from the internet.
The 5-1-1 rule describes a pattern. It does not decide what you should do, and neither do we. HiDoula is a coordination and support tool, not a medical device, diagnosis tool, or emergency monitoring system. For urgent concerns, contact your care provider or local emergency services.
New to timing altogether? Start with how to time contractions, then come back to the shorthand here.
In HiDoula, each tap during labor lands in your doula’s shared view with the 5-1-1 math already done, so your team reads along in real time. See how it works.