app to track contractions

When labor starts, the last thing you want is to be fumbling with a stopwatch and a notepad. You have more important things to focus on. A good contraction timer app handles the "how long?" and "how far apart?" so you can focus on breathing.

But they're not all the same. Some are cluttered with ads that pop up at the worst possible time. Others hide useful features behind a paywall. The best ones are simple. They do one job: track contractions and show you the pattern.

What to look for in a contraction app

Forget the fancy features. When you're in the middle of it, you need simple.

• A big, obvious button. No hunting around the screen. Just one giant button to tap for "start" and "stop."
• A clear display. The app needs to show you the duration of the last contraction and the frequency—the time from the start of one to the start of the next.
• A simple pattern view. A list or graph showing if contractions are getting longer, stronger, and closer together is what matters. This is the data your doctor or midwife will ask for.
• Dark mode. Labor doesn't just happen during the day. A bright screen in a dark room is the last thing you need.
• No noise. The best apps are quiet. No distracting alerts or complicated menus, and definitely no pop-up ads.

I remember timing my sister's contractions for her second kid. It was 4:17 PM, and I was trying to use the stopwatch on my phone while she was leaning on the counter of my 2011 Honda Civic, which was parked (thankfully). I kept messing up the start and stop times. An app would have saved me a lot of stress.

Apps that just work

Some apps get recommended over and over by parents and doulas because they get the basics right.

• Contraction Timer & Counter 9m: A popular, straightforward choice. You tap to start and tap to end. The free version has ads, which can be annoying, but the app is reliable.
• Full Term: This app is more than just a timer; you can also use it as a kick counter and weight tracker during pregnancy. It has a clean interface and lets you set alerts for things like the 5-1-1 rule (contractions five minutes apart, lasting one minute, for at least one hour).
• Storky: A free, ad-free option made with input from birth assistants. It’s designed for simplicity and gives you a clear summary of your contraction history to share with your medical team.
• Bump Pulse: Made by a developer after a bad experience with ad-filled apps during his wife's labor, this one is free and focused. It has a clean interface and makes it easy to share timing between partners' phones.

It's one less thing to think about

A contraction timer's real job is to take one thing off your plate. It frees you up to focus on your body and your partner. The data it collects helps you see when things are changing and gives you clear information to share when you call your doctor or doula.

Don't wait until the first contraction to find one. Pick an app now, play around with it, and see how it works. You'll be glad you did.