Do you time your contractions?

[WindyCityMom]

I had some prodromal labor last night and told myself that I'd just try and sleep. I was up for quite awhile with them and had to concentrate through them. They were very intense. I had a ton of them, best guess is 5mins apart for over an hour. I told myself that I'd try and sleep and if it was real labor it would either wake me up later or I wouldn't be able to sleep at all anyways. I fell asleep, woke up crampy today and have started contracting again.

Not sure if I want to time them. Do you time yours, or is it kind of a "let it happen" kind of thing?

[craft_media_hero]

WindyCity, I'm so excited for you!

I don't have any feedback on timing; I think that's up to your discretion. I did time dd a little but then lost track--labored at home and birthed after less than half hr at the hospital. So not a UC, but after I established that they were regular, I quit timing them.

I can't wait to read your birth story, though! Keep us posted, big hugs and props to you for staying so strong in doing what you feel is right for your family!

[Jaimee]

I plan to time mine in the beginning to see if they are regular and increasing in length so that I have a good idea of when to ready the pool, call my mom to watch dd, etc. I think after I cross over to active labor toward transition, I'll most likely stop- by then you know you're moving forward!

So exciting! Good luck!

[zoebird]

i didn't track mine or time them at all. i just experienced the labor and birth. it was right for me.

[Marlet]

I inadvertantly did. I was texting with a friend at the time and when a new text comes in on my phone there is a time stamp. Until I hit "read now/read later" it's visible. I wasn't timing the length of them but was able to see when they were coming. I did eventually stop texting her at which point I wasn't interested in knowing timing anyways. Had I not been talking to her I wouldn't have gone out of my way to do it.

[MyBoysBlue]

I had a contraction timer on my phone at the time and I did time them for about 10 minutes. I figured I'd try out the tool since they were just BH contractions. No way could they be real and be 1 minute apart and not hurt. Well, Nope it was the real thing. I know what time it was when my water broke cause I stopped timing and DS was born 25 minutes after my water broke.

[Kidzaplenty]

I don't time them. I just let them happen, and I "know" when I am getting close (just a feeling).

[gossamerwindweb]

I timed mine at the very first... but after a few hours it lost its excitement. I also timed them when I was in 10 hours of transition-like labor. Only because every time a contraction came, I looked at the clock... but I didn't write them down. Every UCer is different

[sanguine_speed]

I did because my second labour was a very, very long prodromal (days)...it felt like real labour to me, but the contractions were not regular and increasing in length regularly. So my third labour I wanted to be sure.
Having been through prodromal and "real" labour both, they do feel the same for me.

[KristaDJ]

No WAY. I know from my first two labors that my contractions are "all over the place" and never "get regular" or last "long enough to do anything." With my UC I just let it flow and trusted my body to do it the right way for me without worrying about dilation, timing or anything else.

[lafemmedesfemmes]

i didn't with my first son, and when my husband asked me at some point how far apart the contractions were, i made it plain that i neither knew nor cared.

i didn't with my second son, either, but my husband decided to time the contractions all on his own and kept informing me of how far apart they were until i made it plain that i didn't care.

i think i see a pattern here...

christina

[ann_of_loxley]

I am planning on timing them - with contraction master! lmao... But just for fun really. I don't see much of a need because at the end of the day, it will happen when it happens! lol But I am curious so might want to know - will see when the time comes!
We kinda timed them with DS.

[onelilguysmommy]

I did...I wanted to see how far apart and all. Then I thought it was cool to know how many I had total but my son erased it off of my phone.

[samuel1:8]

I don't b/c with my last two labors they never increased in length or became closer together. All over the map. And then I hit transition! I know by feel not by time.

[UCmamaToMany]

I don't usually have time to time contractions, LOL!! My water breaks and between 45mins to 1½hrs I give birth!

However this is a fun little gadget to time your contractions especially if you have longer labors and can sit and time them. http://contractionmaster.com/ Just hit the spacebar when a ctx starts and stops. Easy to do while surfing the net or facebooking, LOL

[WindyCityMom]

Thanks everyone

I've got a contraction timer on DHs iPod, and I use that when I do time them. It just feels like my contractions might be hindered from coming on regularly if I time them, KWIM? I kind of have a feeling that labor is somewhat psychological, in the sense that if it starts and you're having contractions, you need to let it flow and not get too distracted or your body might lose track of itself. I think that once I feel that contractions are really "there", I might track them intermittently here and there, but not sure. I guess it will be a "how I feel" kind of thing. I've never birthed or labored naturally so I have no clue what this labor will be like.

With DD I was in prodromal for quite awhile and was induced via pit, foley cath, and AROM- never ever again to any of them. Anyways, it was probably from my "due date" until DD was born, which was 9 DAYS. I'm still contracting more than ever, I checked baby's head (she's posterior and it just bobbles all over.. she's not a consistent mover so I was checking her position) vaginally and my cervix is "reachable" now (barely, I can really only feel part of the OS) so it is beginning to descend. Granted it's been over a day since I've checked so not sure where it is now, but still.

No plug lost and no bloody show- I'm only 38wks so it could be awhile- but the fact that I'm still contracting is good Even though it's inconsistent. It does have periods of regularity. I find if I concentrate on them to hard they wear off, same as if I completely ignore them. If I remain aware but not too "set" on them, they continue longer.

Thanks though everyone- it was interesting reading the replies