Contraction Timer Apps That Can Help Make Labor Easier

Contraction timers have become very popular with the invention of the smartphone. While timing a contraction with a watch or a clock is not difficult to do, the apps tend to have the advantage of doing the math calculations for you and for keeping a log of the contractions. These can be very handy, particularly for the dads-to-be. That said, time a few contractions and then stop until they have made a significant change, then time a few more.

Check out some of these popular labor contraction apps.

• Contraction Master: This app works with iOS or Android as well as web-based. If you are using the computer version, you do not need to be hooked up to the internet once the program has loaded. It is also able to print your contractions. This site has been live for a long time and has a long history.
• Contraction Timer App: This Android app is free and works easily. You simply hit start and stop when a contraction begins and ends. This app will calculate how far apart the contractions are for you and how long they last.
• Full Term: This iOS app is very basic, but also provides you with an easy to use interface. (Can you click start and stop?) The app has a bright light which can either be helpful or a hindrance, which really just depends on what you're looking for in an app. When used at night, it's bright enough to see the buttons and listings of previous contractions, without waking someone else up. That said, if you're trying to time contractions while you stay asleep, you may want to squint a bit.
• iBirth: This app is for iOS or Android. It's so much more than a contraction timer. It has video clips to help you find good positions for labor. It offers comfort measures. It even has information on nutrition. This was developed by childbirth educators and doulas. It is a great tool for all moms. The timer is a mere basic function along with the other goodies provided by this app.
• Contraction Timer Deluxe: This app is great because, not only does it time your contractions, but this iOS app also plots your contractions on a graph for a visual representation. It calculates how far apart, how long, etc. This can help you see if your contractions are meeting the stronger, longer, and closer together requirements that signal labor. There is also a free version available.
• Lamaze Pregnancy to Parenting: This is for iOS or Android. The contraction timer is a part of a larger app that handles everything from the basics of parenting through postpartum and breastfeeding (including a feeding tracker). And it's free.

Overall contraction timers offer very similar features. You need to decide which features are most important to you and why. A mother who is experiencing preterm labor or who has a history of preterm labor may have a need for different functions than a mother who is just trying to figure out when to go to the hospital to have her baby.

Another consideration is that you will want to consider if you load this on your phone or the phone of your partner. Sometimes this will matter in labor. These are fun apps to play with for most people.