Timing Labor Contractions

Timing labor contractions is just a matter of watching the clock. If you think you are going through , time them from the beginning of one contraction to the beginning of the next one. Then keep track of how long each contraction lasts. If this is your first baby, and the contractions last about a minute, are three to five minutes apart, and have been going on that way for at least an hour, you're ready to go to the hospital. If this isn't your first baby, you can expect your labor contractions to be less frequent. An hour of contractions lasting about half a minute, eight to ten minutes apart, means you should get to the hospital. Always check with your doctor to determine the proper timing techniques.