Using a contraction timer as a birth partner

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

Start the Birth Companion timer at the agreed signal and stop it when the contraction finishes. If you miss a signal, be clear about that rather than treating a guess as an exact measurement. Put the phone down when your attention is needed elsewhere. Care and comfort come before a complete log.

Keep notes short and specific

Record what the person chooses to share, such as whether they preferred silence or found a particular form of support helpful. Use their words rather than interpreting symptoms. When another support person takes over, explain the signals and any gaps in the record. 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/).

Birth Companion Download on the App Store