⚠️ Medical Disclaimer: These tools are for educational purposes only and are not medical advice. Please consult your pediatrician 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

Contraction timer is what you use at 3 AM to figure out if its real labor or Braxton Hicks. Stateside, The decision affects everything: when to call your OB-GYN, when to head to the hospital (and which one if your insurance covers specific ones), and whether your birth partner can take off work. We use the 5-1-1 rule and help you understand active labor patterns. We also explain what your nurse triage line will ask when you call.

⏱️ 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 USA

How labor contraction tracking care actually works in the United States

Pediatric care in America has too many decision points. Most parents do not realize this until midnight on a Tuesday. Your pediatrician handles routine stuff. After hours though, you have options to sort through. Nurse triage line that comes with your pediatric practice, free. Telehealth like Teladoc or Amwell, usually a small copay through insurance. Urgent care clinics, the CVS MinuteClinic and Walgreens Healthcare type places, around $100 to $150 cash. ER for actual emergencies, anywhere from $500 to $3000 even with insurance. Choice depends on baby age, severity of what is going on, and your insurance situation. Under 3 months with any fever (100.4 Fahrenheit, 38 Celsius), skip the decision tree completely. Go straight to ER. AAP is firm on that one.

📞 Emergency contacts in the United States

For emergencies in the US: call 911. For non-emergency advice, call your pediatrician or the Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222 if you suspect a medication issue. Telehealth services like Teladoc, Amwell, and MDLive offer 24/7 pediatric consultations covered by most insurance plans.

Context for American families

What American moms actually deal with

American parents get conflicting advice from every direction. Wellness industry says lavender oil for everything. Some of those oils are actually unsafe for babies under 2 years old. Online mom forums swing from "every fever is fine, just wait it out" to "rush to the ER right now." Pediatricians want measured responses based on evidence. Insurance companies want you to call the nurse line first. None of these voices is entirely wrong. Just incomplete. AAP guidance is consistent and worth trusting more than Instagram momfluencers. For babies over 3 months, watchful waiting with Tylenol or Motrin and good hydration is fine for 24 to 48 hours unless something concerning develops. Under 3 months, any fever is an ER visit. No exceptions, no waiting it out.

More FAQs for USA

American-specific questions

The triage line wants you to stay home until active labor. Push back if: contractions are increasing in intensity AND frequency, you cannot talk through contractions, your water has broken (especially with green or bloody fluid), you have decreased fetal movement, severe headache, or visual changes. Trust your body. If you feel something is wrong, head to the hospital regardless of what triage said.
Yes, this is critical. Your insurance has in-network and out-of-network hospitals. Delivering at an out-of-network hospital can cost tens of thousands extra. Verify your delivery hospital is in-network BEFORE labor. If you go into labor and your in-network hospital is far away, ask your OB if they will admit you anyway under emergency provisions. EMTALA federal law protects you in true emergencies.
Certified Nurse Midwives or Certified Professional Midwives attending home births will give you their specific guidance on when to call them in. Generally for planned home birth, the midwife arrives earlier in labor than you would at a hospital. Your midwife will give you a phone number to call at first sign of regular contractions, and they make the call on timing.
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