⚠️ Medical Disclaimer: These tools are for educational purposes only and are not medical advice. Please consult your family doctor or healthcare provider for any health concerns.
Free Tool

Labour Contraction Timer

Time your labour contractions accurately and know exactly when to leave for hospital. Alerts you when you hit the 5-1-1 rule.

100% Free No Login Works on Mobile Data Stays Private

Most Canadian Contraction timer helps you decide when to call your hospital, walk-in maternity unit, or your registered midwife if applicable. Canadian winters add a logistics layer: driving distance, road conditions, who can take you. We use the standard 5-1-1 rule and help you understand what your provincial maternity care provider will want to know.

⏱️ Labour Contraction Timer

Track contractions. 5-1-1 rule hospital alert

Current contraction
00:00
Press Start when contraction begins

When to go to the hospital

5-1-1 rule: Contractions are 5 minutes apart, last 1 minute each, and have continued this way for 1 hour. This is when most doctors recommend heading to the hospital.

This timer is a guide only. If you feel something is wrong, call your doctor immediately or go to the hospital.

Step-by-Step Guide

How to use this tool

Designed for active labour. Ideally used by your partner while you breathe through contractions.

  1. 1
    Tap Start when a contraction begins

    The moment you feel tightening, tap Start. The timer counts the contraction duration.

  2. 2
    Tap Stop when the contraction ends

    When the tightening relaxes, tap Stop. Duration is recorded.

  3. 3
    Wait between contractions

    The timer automatically measures the gap between contractions.

  4. 4
    Watch for the 5-1-1 hospital alert

    Contractions 5 min apart, 1 min long, for 1 hour. The tool shows a red alert to go to hospital.

💡 Let your partner use the timer

During active labour, operating a phone is difficult. Show this to your partner before labour. They tap Start/Stop while you breathe.

⚠️ Go to hospital immediately if

Waters break. Heavy bleeding. Baby stops moving. You feel something is seriously wrong. Even if contractions are not yet 5-1-1.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Contractions 5 minutes apart (start to start), each lasting at least 1 minute, for 1 hour. Always follow your doctor's specific instructions.
Yes, especially in early labour. Contractions start irregular and gradually become more regular as active labour progresses.
Frequency is how often contractions occur. Interval is the time between the END of one and the START of the next. Our timer measures both.
History saves in your browser session while the page is open. If you close the page, history clears. Keep the page open throughout labour.
Healthcare in Canada

How labor contraction tracking care actually works in Canada

Canadian pediatric care runs through provincial public health. Your health card covers everything: ER visits, family doctor appointments, walk in clinics. OHIP in Ontario. RAMQ in Quebec. MSP in British Columbia. Each province slightly different but the principle is the same. Pediatric specialty hospitals serve as referral centres. SickKids in Toronto. BC Childrens in Vancouver. CHEO in Ottawa. Sainte Justine in Montreal. The 811 health line is your first call for after hours triage. Available in most provinces. Many Canadians do not have a family doctor right now (the shortage is real). Walk in clinics and Telus Health Virtual Care fill the gap. Wait times are the main frustration with the system.

📞 Emergency contacts in Canada

In Canada, call 811 for free 24/7 health advice (available in most provinces). For emergencies, call 911. Pediatric specialty hospitals (SickKids in Toronto, BC Children, CHEO in Ottawa, Sainte-Justine in Montreal) have specific after hours services. Your provincial health card covers all of this. Telus Health TM Virtual Care also provides pediatric consultations.

Context for Canadian families

What Canadian moms actually deal with

Canadian parents are generally pragmatic and reasonably trusting of the medical system. Wait times frustrate everyone. The family doctor shortage frustrates everyone more. Cultural norm is to call 811 first, then decide between walk in clinic, family doctor, or ER based on what they tell you. Winter respiratory illness season is brutal in Canada. November through March, intense circulation of RSV, flu, and COVID. Babies under 6 months are at highest risk for complications. The RSV prophylaxis program (nirsevimab, brand Beyfortus) is now standard. Free through provincial programs in most provinces. Ask your family doctor or call 811 to confirm eligibility for your baby.

More FAQs for Canada

Canadian-specific questions

811 (provincial health line) can triage early labor questions 24/7 and tell you whether to head to hospital, call your provider, or stay home. They follow Canadian Paediatric Society and provincial midwifery guidance. For specific questions about your pregnancy, your family doctor, OB, or registered midwife is preferred. Save your hospital labor and delivery unit direct number too.
In urban areas of Canada you typically deliver at the hospital your OB or midwife has privileges at. In rural areas or northern communities, you may need to relocate to a regional centre near your due date. Your provincial maternity care program may cover travel and accommodation for this. Discuss well in advance.
In provinces with midwifery (most provinces), registered midwives offer hospital, birth centre, or home birth options. You call your midwife when contractions become regular. They arrive at your chosen birth location and provide care through delivery and postpartum. Midwifery is provincially funded so no out-of-pocket cost for the care itself.
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