About Contraction Timer

It Started with a Pen and a Crumpled Piece of Paper

I was 38 weeks pregnant with my first baby when contractions started in the middle of the night. My husband was half asleep. I grabbed the closest thing I could find, a pen and the back of an old shopping list, and I started writing the times down. 2:14 AM. Stopped... when did it stop? I forgot to look. Started again at 2:23. Or was it 2:25? And then the pen ran out of ink.

By the time I had six contractions written down, I couldn't read my own handwriting. The numbers didn't make sense. I was trying to do math between waves of pain. Honestly, I just wanted someone to tell me if this was real labor or if I could go back to bed.

That night we went to the hospital too early. Got sent home. Classic first-time-mom move, I know. But it stuck with me. There had to be a simpler way to track contractions without doing mental arithmetic while your body is doing the most intense thing it's ever done.

So I Went Looking for a Solution

I started researching. Tried a few apps. Some were okay but cluttered with ads. Others wanted me to sign up for accounts I didn't need. One had so many buttons that I accidentally deleted my whole contraction history while having a contraction. Not ideal.

What I wanted was dead simple. One button. Press when it starts. Press when it stops. Show me the pattern. Tell me when things are getting serious. That's it. No accounts. No ads in my face while I'm in labor. No complicated menus.

I couldn't find exactly what I had in mind. So we built it.

From Timer to Labor Companion

The first version was just the contraction timer. Start, stop, done. But as I talked to more pregnant women, and as I went through my second pregnancy, I realized the hardest part of labor isn't the contractions themselves. It's the fear between them. The waiting. The silence at 4 AM when you're wondering if everything is okay.

That's when we added calming music and breathing guidance. Not clinical stuff, just gentle audio that gives your brain something to hold onto when panic wants to take over. Then came the hypnobirthing-inspired meditation tracks, because I'd tried hypnobirthing with my second baby and it genuinely changed how I experienced surges. It's not pain-free, let me be clear. But manageable. I felt like I had a tool, instead of just white-knuckling through it.

We added pregnancy meditations, breathing exercises for each stage of labor, and relaxation audio for those nights when your body is exhausted but your brain won't stop running worst-case scenarios. Because that's what pregnancy anxiety does. It shows up at bedtime, every time.

What Contraction Timer Is Today

Contraction Timer is a free app on iOS and Android that does exactly what it says. It tracks your contractions. It calculates averages. And it helps you figure out when it might be time to go to the hospital. But it also tries to keep you calm while you wait.

The app uses the 5-1-1 rule, recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), to detect when contractions are 5 minutes apart, lasting 1 minute each, for at least 1 hour. When this pattern is detected, you get an alert so you can call your provider and head to the hospital with confidence — not guesswork.

What the App Includes

• One-Tap Contraction Timer — Start and stop with a single tap. The app records the time, duration, and interval automatically.
• 5-1-1 Rule Detection — Real-time analysis based on ACOG guidelines. You'll know when contractions are consistent enough to head to the hospital.
• Labor Phase Detection — The app identifies whether you're in early labor, active labor, or the transition phase based on your contraction patterns.
• Apple Watch Companion — Start and stop contractions directly from your wrist. Everything syncs to your iPhone instantly.
• Home Screen & Lock Screen Widgets — Tap to start a contraction without even opening the app.
• Contraction Reports — Generate a branded image report with your contraction history, averages, and labor phase. Share it directly with your doctor or midwife via text, email, or WhatsApp.
• Calming Audio Library — Soothing instrumental music and breathing-focused tracks for labor. One free track included; premium unlocks the full library.
• Guided Breathing Exercises — Five breathing patterns (Calm Breath, 4-7-8, Box Breathing, Birth Breathing, Energizing Breath) to help you manage contractions and stay focused.
• Baby Kick Counter — Track fetal movements with a simple tap interface. Important for monitoring baby's well-being in the third trimester.
• Due Date Calculator — Calculate your estimated due date based on your last menstrual period using Naegele's Rule.
• Birth Affirmations — Beautiful affirmation cards to help you stay positive and mentally prepared.
• Birth Plan Builder — Select your labor and delivery preferences and share them with your birth team.
• Weight Tracker — Monitor your pregnancy weight gain with a simple chart view.
• Hospital Bag & Checklists — Pre-loaded checklists for your hospital bag, third trimester preparation, partner preparation, and postpartum recovery.
• Comprehensive Labor Guide — Everything about Braxton Hicks vs real contractions, the three stages of labor, the 5-1-1 rule, emergency signs, coping strategies, and when to go to the hospital. Referenced from ACOG and WHO guidelines.
• 18 Languages — Available in English, Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Romanian, Russian, Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Chinese (Simplified & Traditional), Turkish, Polish, Swedish, and Hindi.
• 100% Private — All data stays on your device. No accounts, no cloud storage, no tracking. Your contraction history is yours alone.
• No Ads. Ever. — The core contraction timer is completely free. Premium unlocks extra audio, downloads, and advanced features — but you will never see an advertisement.

Built on Medical Guidelines

The contraction analysis in the app follows the widely-accepted 5-1-1 guideline used by obstetricians and midwives. Labor phase detection is based on standard obstetric criteria: early labor (contractions 5-15 minutes apart, 30-45 seconds long), active labor (3-5 minutes apart, 45-60 seconds), and transition (2-3 minutes apart, 60-90 seconds). These thresholds align with guidelines published by ACOG and referenced in medical literature.

However, every pregnancy is different. The app is an informational tool, not a medical device. It does not diagnose, treat, or make clinical decisions. Always follow the guidance of your healthcare provider.

What We Believe

We're not trying to replace your doctor, your midwife, or your birth plan. We're trying to fill the gap between having contractions at home and arriving at the hospital. That in-between time feels lonely and confusing for a lot of women. It's usually hardest for first-time moms who don't know what "real" contractions feel like yet.

Your body knows what it's doing. Sometimes your mind just needs a little help to catch up.

If you have questions, feedback, or just want to tell us about your birth experience (we genuinely love hearing these), reach out at support@contractiontimer.io.

Thank you for trusting us with such an important moment.