How to time contractions (the right way)
When contractions start, the single most useful thing you can do is time them. The pattern — not any single contraction — tells you and your provider whether labor is starting for real.
Contraction timer
Tap once when a contraction starts and once when it ends. The timer works offline and your log never leaves this browser.
Always call your midwife, doctor, or maternity unit if your waters break, you see bleeding, the baby moves less than usual, or something simply feels wrong. Do not wait for a 5-1-1 pattern.
The two numbers that matter
- Duration: how long one contraction lasts, from the moment you feel it building until it fully fades. Typically 30 to 70 seconds.
- Frequency, also called the interval: the time from the start of one contraction to the start of the next. "5 minutes apart" means start to start, not the gap in between.
Timing, counting, tracking and measuring contractions all describe this same job. Whatever you call it, these are the two numbers, and the second one is where nearly everyone goes wrong.
The mistake almost everyone makes
Frequency is measured start to start. Many people measure the rest in between instead, from the end of one contraction to the beginning of the next, and because a contraction lasts about a minute, that quietly shortens every reading.
Say your contractions truly come every 6 minutes and last 60 seconds. Measured correctly that is a 6-minute frequency. Measured as the rest in between it looks like 5 minutes, which is the threshold at which many people are told to call. Same contractions, wrong conclusion, and it is the single most common reason a call turns out to be premature.
How to do it, step by step
- When a contraction begins, note the time, or tap start on the timer above.
- When it fully eases, note the time again. That gives you the duration.
- When the next one begins, the gap since the previous start is your frequency.
- Keep going for at least 30 to 60 minutes. One contraction tells you nothing; an hour of them tells you almost everything.
- Look at the trend rather than any single reading. Are they getting longer, stronger and closer together? That is the signature of true labor.
What a real log looks like
This is what an hour of early active labor might look like written down. Note that the intervals are not identical, which is normal; what matters is the direction they move in.
| Started | Duration | Interval (start to start) |
|---|---|---|
| 21:04 | 45 s | – |
| 21:11 | 50 s | 7 min |
| 21:17 | 55 s | 6 min |
| 21:23 | 55 s | 6 min |
| 21:28 | 60 s | 5 min |
| 21:33 | 60 s | 5 min |
| 21:38 | 65 s | 5 min |
Durations climbing from 45 to 65 seconds, intervals falling from 7 minutes to 5, holding steady at the end. That is labor establishing itself. A log where the numbers wander up and down with no direction usually is not.
What the numbers usually look like at each stage
| Stage | Frequency | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Early labor | Every 5 to 30 minutes, often irregular at first | 30 to 45 seconds |
| Active labor | Every 3 to 5 minutes, regular | 45 to 60 seconds |
| Transition | Every 2 to 3 minutes | 60 to 90 seconds |
These are typical ranges, not rules, and plenty of labors do not read from the script. Use them to recognise roughly where you are, not to decide whether you are allowed to call.
Is it labor or Braxton Hicks?
The log answers this better than the sensation does. Braxton Hicks contractions stay irregular, do not get closer together, do not get longer, and often ease off if you change position, rest, or drink a glass of water. They can still hurt.
True labor contractions keep getting longer, stronger and closer together, and carry on regardless of what you do. If an hour of timing shows no trend in either number, that is your answer, and it is worth stopping and resting rather than watching the clock.
What to tell your provider
When you call, you will be asked three things, which is exactly why you have been timing:
- How far apart the contractions are, start to start.
- How long each one lasts.
- How long that pattern has held. The answer they want is the last hour.
Those three together are the 5-1-1 rule, the threshold most providers use to decide whether to bring you in. You will also be asked how many weeks you are, whether your waters have broken, whether there has been any bleeding, and whether the baby is moving normally.
Four things that go wrong when you time by hand
- Measuring the wrong gap. Start to start, every time.
- Averaging away the truth. Three contractions 4 minutes apart and one 9 minutes apart average to about 5, but that is not a 5-minute pattern.
- Missing contractions. One unrecorded contraction in the middle of an hour can turn a real pattern into a scattered one on paper.
- Timing at the worst possible moment. Doing arithmetic at 3 a.m. between contractions is not when anyone is at their sharpest, and it is exactly when the numbers matter most.
One tap per contraction with Lunera's contraction timer
Doing stopwatch math between contractions is the last thing you need in labor. Lunera's contraction timer reduces it to a single tap when a contraction starts and one when it ends — the app does everything else:
- Live stats: contraction count, average duration, average interval
- Live Activity on your lock screen and Dynamic Island — no unlocking mid-contraction
- Hands-free with Siri: "start a contraction", "stop the contraction"
- Full session history; add intensity (mild, moderate, strong) and notes
- PRO: automatic 5-1-1 detection, guided breathing during each contraction, and PDF reports to share with your provider
Quick answers
How do you time contractions?
Note the time a contraction starts and the time it ends, which gives you its duration. Then note when the next one starts: the gap from one start to the next is the frequency. Keep going for 30 to 60 minutes, because it is the pattern across an hour that means something, not any single contraction.
Do you time contractions from the end of one to the start of the next?
No. Frequency is measured start to start. Timing the rest in between makes contractions look closer together than they are, typically by about a minute, which is enough to cross a threshold you have not actually reached.
What is the difference between duration and frequency?
Duration is how long a single contraction lasts, usually 30 to 70 seconds. Frequency, sometimes called the interval, is how much time passes between the start of one contraction and the start of the next. Providers ask for both.
When should I start timing contractions?
Start when contractions feel regular, or strong enough that you notice them stopping you mid-activity. Timing a 30 to 60 minute window gives you a pattern worth reporting. There is no harm in starting earlier, other than a longer log.
How do I know it is not Braxton Hicks?
Braxton Hicks contractions stay irregular, do not get closer together or longer, and often ease with rest, hydration or a change of position. True labor contractions get longer, stronger and closer together over time and carry on whatever you do.
How long should I time contractions before calling?
About an hour of consistent contractions is the usual answer, because the standard threshold providers use is contractions 5 minutes apart lasting 1 minute for 1 hour. Call immediately without waiting if your waters break, you see bleeding, the baby moves less, or something feels wrong.
What is the best way to track contractions at home?
Anything that records the start time and end time of every contraction without you doing arithmetic in between. Pen and paper works if someone else is writing. A timer app is easier because it calculates intervals and averages for you and does not skip one when things get intense.
Should I time every contraction?
During the hour you are assessing the pattern, yes: a missed contraction can turn a regular pattern into a scattered one on paper. Outside that, there is no need to log continuously for hours on end.
Track your pregnancy with Lunera
Week-by-week baby development, due date countdown, widgets, and a one-tap contraction timer — free, private, and subscription-free on iPhone.
This guide is for informational and educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Lunera is not a medical device. Always consult your doctor, midwife, or healthcare provider with any questions about your pregnancy or labor.