Free contraction timer to track labor contractions. Measure duration and interval between contractions. Know when to go to the hospital with the 5-1-1 rule.
The 5-1-1 rule: go to the hospital when contractions are 5 minutes apart (interval from start of one to start of next), 1 minute long (duration), consistently for 1 hour. Some providers use 4-1-1 for second pregnancies since labor often progresses faster.
Start the timer at the beginning of each contraction (when tightening begins). Stop it when the contraction fully releases. Record the duration. The interval is the time from the start of one contraction to the start of the next — not the gap between end and start.
Early labor (latent phase): contractions last 30–45 seconds, 5–20 minutes apart. Active labor: 45–60 seconds, 3–5 minutes apart. Transition: 60–90 seconds, 2–3 minutes apart. Tracking duration and interval over time shows labor progression clearly.
Call immediately if: water breaks, bleeding, baby movement slows significantly, or you have concerns. For regular contraction timing: call when you reach 5-1-1 (first baby) or 4-1-1 (second+ baby), or when contractions feel very intense even if not at those numbers.
Use two browser tabs or a dedicated contraction app alongside this timer. Tab 1: start at contraction beginning, stop at end (duration). Tab 2: start at end of one contraction, stop at start of next (gap). Many find writing down times manually with this timer is the most reliable approach.