⏱️ Labour Contraction Timer
Track contractions. 5-1-1 rule hospital alert
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.
How to use this tool
Designed for active labour. Ideally used by your partner while you breathe through contractions.
- 1Tap Start when a contraction begins
The moment you feel tightening, tap Start. The timer counts the contraction duration.
- 2Tap Stop when the contraction ends
When the tightening relaxes, tap Stop. Duration is recorded.
- 3Wait between contractions
The timer automatically measures the gap between contractions.
- 4Watch 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.
During active labour, operating a phone is difficult. Show this to your partner before labour. They tap Start/Stop while you breathe.
Waters break. Heavy bleeding. Baby stops moving. You feel something is seriously wrong. Even if contractions are not yet 5-1-1.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the 5-1-1 rule?
My contractions are irregular. Is that normal?
How is frequency different from interval?
Does the timer save my history?
How labor contraction tracking care actually works in India
Indian healthcare for babies works on two parallel systems. Middle class families typically have a private pediatrician on call. Apollo, Fortis, Max, Manipal, Cloudnine have pediatric specialty centres in metros. Smaller cities have local trusted pediatricians who often see three generations of the same family. Government Primary Health Centres provide free care for everyone. Consultation fees at private pediatricians range from rupees 400 to 1500 in metros. Government hospitals are free, queues can be long. Many private pediatricians give WhatsApp consultations for after hours stuff. This is uniquely convenient and worth asking about when picking your pediatrician. The IAP has been updating its guidelines to match international evidence on fever management, medication choice, and the limited role of sponging.
For emergencies in India: 112 (national emergency) or 102 (ambulance). For non-emergency child health concerns, call your pediatrician directly. Many hospital chains like Apollo, Fortis, and Max offer 24/7 telephone consultations for registered patients.
What Indian moms actually deal with
Indian families bring extra layers of advice when baby is sick. Maternal grandmother arrives within hours, often with old remedies. Mother in law has opinions. The aunties WhatsApp group has more opinions. The neighbour with no medical training also has thoughts. Most of this advice is well meaning. Some is outdated. None should replace your pediatrician. Use traditional comfort measures like haldi milk for older babies, tulsi water, light steam, these are fine alongside medical care. Just not as replacements when actual medication is needed. The cultural pressure to refuse modern medication is real and sometimes harmful. Crocin and Calpol when properly dosed are among the safest pediatric medications studied. The simple line "doctor said this is necessary" usually settles cultural disagreements about giving paracetamol.