Labor Contraction Timer App Reviews

Pregnant Caucasian woman timing contractions in hospital

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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 have the advantage of doing the calculations and for logging 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.

Labor Contraction Apps

Check out some of these popular labor contraction apps.

Contraction Master

Contraction Master is available as a web-based tool as well as an app for iOS or Android. 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

Contraction Timer is a simple, free Android app. 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

The Full Term 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

The iBirth app is available 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.

Lamaze Pregnancy to Parenting

The Pregnancy to Parenting app from Lamaze is available 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.

The Best Contraction Timer

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.

By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH
Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor.