Check your contraction pattern against the commonly cited 5-1-1 guideline for labor, based on how long your contractions last, how far apart they are, and how long the pattern has held.
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This calculator compares your contraction pattern against the "5-1-1" rule, a commonly cited general guideline for a typical, full-term, low-risk pregnancy: contractions about 5 minutes apart (measured start-to-start), lasting around 1 minute each, holding steady for at least 1 hour. It's often used as a rough, general signal that active labor may be underway and it could be time to contact your provider or head toward the hospital — though it is general educational information, not personalized medical advice, and your own provider's specific instructions should always take priority. The calculator also flags a separate safety consideration: contractions lasting 2 minutes or longer with very little rest in between, a pattern that can sometimes call for prompt medical attention regardless of the overall interval. Timing your contractions accurately, and recognizing that true labor contractions typically grow more regular, longer, and more intense over time (unlike irregular Braxton Hicks practice contractions), can help you communicate clearly with your provider about what you're experiencing.
Somewhere in the final weeks of pregnancy, most expectant parents hear some version of the "5-1-1 rule" — a rough shorthand for one commonly cited moment to contact a healthcare provider or head toward the hospital. The rule describes a contraction pattern: contractions about 5 minutes apart, lasting around 1 minute each, holding that pattern steadily for at least 1 hour. It's a useful mental checkpoint precisely because it's simple to remember in a moment that can otherwise feel overwhelming, though it's worth understanding what each number in it actually measures and why the guideline is general rather than universal.
The first number, the interval, is measured start-to-start — from the moment one contraction begins to the moment the next one begins — rather than the resting gap in between. This distinction matters because a 5-minute interval with a 1-minute contraction leaves about 4 minutes of actual rest, which is a meaningfully different experience than a 5-minute gap of rest between shorter contractions would be. Timing consistently from start-to-start (rather than end-to-start) is the standard convention used by most maternity care providers, so using the same method makes any pattern you report more directly comparable to what your provider expects to hear.
The second and third numbers — a 1-minute duration held for at least 1 hour — exist to filter out the kind of irregular, inconsistent tightening many people experience earlier in pregnancy or even earlier in labor itself. Braxton Hicks contractions, often called "practice" contractions, are typically irregular in both timing and intensity, don't reliably get closer together, and frequently ease off with rest, a change in position, or hydration. True labor contractions, by contrast, tend to follow a progressive pattern: they gradually become more frequent, longer, and more intense over time, and they don't go away with rest. Requiring the 5-1-1 pattern to hold steady for a full hour, rather than appearing briefly and then fading, is what helps distinguish a genuine developing labor pattern from a shorter-lived false alarm.
It's important to be clear that 5-1-1 is a general population guideline, not a personalized medical instruction, and it is commonly cited specifically for first-time, full-term, low-risk pregnancies. Many healthcare providers give different specific guidance for other situations — for instance, someone who has given birth before, lives far from their planned delivery location, is considered higher-risk, or is not yet full-term may be told to call much earlier in the process, sometimes well before contractions reach a 5-1-1 pattern. Because of this variation, the single most reliable source of guidance is always the specific instructions your own provider gave you at a prenatal visit, not a general rule found online.
Separately from timing, certain symptoms warrant contacting a provider or seeking care immediately regardless of what a contraction pattern shows: heavy vaginal bleeding, your water breaking, a marked decrease in your baby's movements, a severe headache with vision changes, or any symptom that simply feels seriously wrong. A contraction timer is a useful tool for organizing information and recognizing a developing pattern, but it works best as a complement to — never a replacement for — the individualized guidance of the healthcare team following your specific pregnancy.
It's a commonly cited general guideline for a typical, full-term, low-risk pregnancy: contractions about 5 minutes apart, lasting around 1 minute each, for at least 1 hour. It's often used as a rough signal that it may be time to call your provider or head to the hospital, though your own provider's specific instructions always take priority over this general rule.
It's measured start-to-start: the time from the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next, not the gap of rest in between. A 5-minute interval with a 1-minute-long contraction means about 4 minutes of rest between contractions.
Braxton Hicks (practice) contractions are typically irregular, don't consistently get closer together or more intense over time, and often ease up with rest, hydration, or a change in position. True labor contractions tend to become progressively more regular, longer, and more intense, and don't stop with rest.
Use this as general educational information, not a personal medical recommendation — always follow the specific instructions your own doctor or midwife has given you, since guidance can reasonably differ based on your pregnancy history, risk factors, distance from the hospital, and whether this is a first delivery.
Yes — regardless of what this calculator shows, contact your provider or seek immediate care for heavy vaginal bleeding, your water breaking, a significant decrease in your baby's movements, or any other symptom that feels seriously wrong to you.