How a support person can help keep a contraction log

Agree on the help you want

Before using a contraction timer, agree who will hold the phone and how the person giving birth will signal the start and end of a contraction. A word or hand gesture may be enough. Ask whether they want spoken updates or quiet company. The arrangement can change whenever they want.

Let the record follow the person

In Birth Companion, start the timer at the agreed signal and stop it when the contraction ends. If you miss a signal, say so rather than presenting a guess as a precise measurement. Put the phone aside when attention is needed elsewhere. A complete log is never more important than care or comfort.

Keep notes short and specific

Note what the person giving birth wants recorded, such as whether quiet company or a particular kind of support helped. Use their words rather than interpreting symptoms. If another support person takes over, explain the signals and any gaps in the log. Birth Companion can export a PDF summary if the person wants to share it.

Keep the care team in the conversation

A contraction log is a recording aid, not a diagnosis or a decision about when to seek care. Follow the maternity team's instructions and contact them about concerns without waiting to finish a record. NHS guidance describes the birth partner's role as support and encouragement, including helping communicate the person's wishes. Source: NHS, Tips for your birthing partner or partners (nhs.uk/best-start-in-life/pregnancy/preparing-for-labour-and-birth/tips-for-your-birthing-partner-or-partners/).

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