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· 4 min read
How to Time Contractions During Labour
Heshan Fernando
Co-founder & COO
When you call the hospital, they ask two questions: how long are the contractions lasting, and how far apart are they. Both sound easy to answer and both are easy to get wrong at three in the morning when you’re timing them yourself between contractions.
The interval in particular catches people out, because the intuitive way to measure it isn’t the way it’s defined.
How the measurements work
Length is straightforward: from when the contraction starts to when it eases off.
Interval is measured from the start of one contraction to the start of the next — not from the end of one to the beginning of the next. That’s a meaningful difference. Contractions lasting 60 seconds, five minutes apart start to start, have four minutes of rest between them. Measured the other way you’d report six minutes and give a misleading picture.
The commonly quoted 5-1-1 guide — contractions five minutes apart, lasting one minute, sustained for one hour — depends entirely on measuring intervals correctly. And on the sustained part: a single hour of pattern, not three contractions that happened to line up.
Guidance varies. Hospitals differ, and advice differs for a first labour versus a subsequent one. Your own maternity team’s instructions always take precedence over any general rule, including this one.
Why people get stuck here
- Measuring end to start. Produces intervals that look longer than they are.
- Timing individual contractions. One contraction tells you nothing; the pattern over an hour is the information.
- Losing the log. Timings kept in your head disappear exactly when someone asks for them.
- Irregular early labour. Contractions that come and go without settling into a pattern are common, and can be discouraging if you’re expecting steady progress.
What good timing looks like
Start to start, consistently
Note the moment each contraction begins. The interval is the gap between those moments.
An hour of data before drawing conclusions
Early labour is often irregular. What matters is whether contractions are getting longer, stronger and closer together over time, and that only shows across an hour or more.
Both averages ready to report
Average length and average interval over the last hour — those are the two numbers you’ll be asked for, and having them ready makes the call much shorter.
| Measurement | How To Take It | Common Error |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Start to ease-off | Including the recovery |
| Interval | Start to start | Measuring end to start |
| Pattern | Over an hour | Judging from three contractions |
When to make contact regardless of the pattern
Contact your midwife or hospital straight away, whatever the timings show, if your waters break, if there’s any bleeding, if baby’s movements reduce or change, if you have severe or constant pain, or if anything at all worries you. The pattern is one input among several, and it is never the reason to delay a call. The NHS guidance on the stages of labour covers the signs worth acting on.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for a textbook pattern when something else is telling you to call.
- Timing every contraction from the very first twinge, which is exhausting and unnecessary in early labour.
- Relying on memory rather than a log.
- Assuming a general rule applies to you when your maternity team gave you specific instructions.
- Keeping the log only in a browser tab that might be closed — write the key numbers down too.
How to do it with Contraction Timer
The Contraction Timer records lengths and start-to-start intervals and builds the pattern summary.
- Start the timer as each contraction begins and stop it when it eases.
- Let the summary build over an hour rather than reacting to individual contractions.
- Read the average length and interval when you call — those are the two numbers you’ll be asked for.
- Write the key figures on paper as well; nothing here is saved if the tab closes.
Other health tracking tools are in the tools directory, all browser-only.
Frequently asked questions
When should I contact my midwife or hospital?
Follow the guidance you were given for your pregnancy rather than a general rule. Contact them regardless of any pattern if your waters break, there’s bleeding, movements reduce, or anything worries you.
Is the 5-1-1 rule reliable?
It’s a common guide for a first labour, but plans differ by hospital and by pregnancy, and it’s often different for someone who has given birth before. Your own instructions override it.
Is my data stored anywhere?
No. Timing stays in the page and isn’t transmitted, so keep a written note of anything you’ll need after closing the tab.
Final thought
Measure start to start, log for an hour, and call whenever something feels wrong regardless of what the numbers say. The timer is there to answer a question, not to decide anything.