To time contractions, note two things: how long each one lasts (the duration) and how far apart they are, measured from the start of one to the start of the next (the frequency). Time several in a row to see the pattern rather than reading any single contraction. The timer below does the math for you.
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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.
Tap start the moment a contraction begins, the first tightening, not the peak. This marks the start of the interval.
Tap stop when the tightening fully eases. The time between your start and stop is the duration, how long that contraction lasted.
Leave the timer running between contractions. The time from the start of one contraction to the start of the next is the frequency, how far apart they are.
A single contraction tells you little. Look at the pattern over several in a row: are they getting longer, stronger, and closer together, or staying irregular?
Almost all of the confusion around timing comes from mixing up these two numbers.
A timer can tell you the pattern. It cannot tell you what to do about it, and it should not try to. Whether a given pattern means it is time to call someone, head somewhere, or simply keep resting is a conversation between you and your own care provider, who knows your pregnancy.
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. If you want to understand the shorthand people use, the 5-1-1 rule is a good next read.
In HiDoula, each tap lands in your doula’s shared labor view in real time, with the averages and the log already worked out. See how it works.