Why we think contraction timers should be avoided...
We've all heard of the apps that time your contractions and tell you when you should go to hospital or phone your care provider.
Timing contractions is an unreliable indicator of where a woman is at in her labour.
How a woman looks, moves, and sounds tells us more than a contraction timer can.
These apps tell us contractions should be 2-3 minutes apart lasting 1 minute for 1 hour before you should go to hospital or call your midwife.
As Dr Rachel Reed perfectly puts it, Women's labour patterns are as unique as they are. I have seen many women birth their babies with contractions more than
2-3 mins apart.
Focusing on timing your contractions can inhibit labour hormones. Too much thinking and analysing can reduce oxytocin which can slow down your labour.
We also believe that if partners are focusing on pushing a button every time you get a contraction, they aren't giving you their best.
Instead of focusing on timing contractions, try and focus on creating a calm, dark distraction free environment that will support oxytocin release
So our advice,
Ditch the timers
Go internal
Listen to your body and intuition
You don't need a contraction timer to tell you when to call your midwife or go to hospital. We promise you will know when it's time ✨
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