Interval timer with contraction 5-1-1 pattern alert
An interval timer that records two things: how long each interval lasted, and how long it was from the start of one to the start of the next. It is useful for exercise intervals, physiotherapy sets, breathing practice and timing contractions. When the recorded intervals fit the 5-1-1 pattern — roughly a minute long, roughly five minutes apart, sustained for an hour — it says so, as a prompt to ring your maternity unit rather than as a judgement about what is happening.
What people use it for
Timing contractions without doing arithmetic
Pressing start and stop is about the limit of what anybody wants to do mid-contraction. The gap between them is worked out for you, and the 5-1-1 pattern is flagged when it appears rather than left for you to spot in a list.
Running work and rest intervals
Circuits, sprints, physiotherapy holds, breathing practice — anything counted in rounds. The list of what you actually did is often more useful afterwards than the plan you started with.
Timing something with the screen off
The elapsed figure is read from the clock rather than counted up, so a locked screen or a backgrounded tab does not lose time. Come back and the number is right.
How it works
- Press start when something begins — A new interval opens and the clock runs.
- Press stop when it ends — The duration is recorded, along with the gap from the previous interval’s start.
- Watch the summary — Last duration, average gap and the count so far sit above the list.
- Act on the prompt, not on the app — If the 5-1-1 note appears, ring your maternity unit. Their advice about when to call and when to come in comes first.
Questions
Can I use this to time contractions?
Yes, and it flags the 5-1-1 pattern when it appears. But it is a stopwatch, not a medical device: it cannot tell how strong anything was, and your maternity unit’s advice about when to call and when to come in overrides anything on this screen.
Will I lose the list if the screen locks?
A locked screen is fine — the page keeps running and the elapsed time stays correct because it is read from the clock rather than counted. Closing the tab or reloading the page does lose it. If that is a risk, write the times down as you go.
Does it keep counting if I switch apps?
The count stays correct. Browsers slow or pause timers in a background tab, so the display may not refresh while you are away, but the elapsed figure is worked out from the start time and is right again the instant you return.
Is the gap measured start-to-start or end-to-start?
Start to start, which is how contraction frequency is conventionally described — "five minutes apart" means from the beginning of one to the beginning of the next.
Is anything sent anywhere?
No. The timer runs entirely in the page and makes no network request at all, which is also why it works with no connection.
Tips
- Press stop as the interval genuinely ends rather than tidying it up afterwards — the gap is measured from the starts, so a late stop costs less than a late start.
- The 5-1-1 note is a prompt to phone somebody, not a stage of labour.
- Reloading loses the list. If it matters, note the times down as well.
- It works with no connection at all, which is worth knowing in a car park.
By Ahsan Mahmood · updated 2026-07-30
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