Best iphone app for labour / contractions?

[AliB]

Hi all

I've noticed there are lots of competing iphone apps that have been launched to monitor contractions and generate stats etc.

Can anybody recommend one that they've used recently?

Thanks
AliB

[Kitt3n]

Wow.

I would never have thought of that.

Are there Iphone preg tests too?

(sorry that just blew me away!)

[BellyBelly]

I think women are better off focusing on their bodies, their babies and knowing their body is going to do a beautiful job no matter how far apart those contractions are... just distracts from the normal and natural process which will happen no matter how many minutes apart they are in any one minute!

[AliB]

It's only for DP's benefit, you must understand...

But seriously neither of us have second hands on our watches so it would be great just to click on the 'start' and 'stop' on the iphone. I think that would mean less clock watching is required actually - just keep an eye on the overall frequency every now and again.

[AliB]

Wow.

I would never have thought of that.

Are there Iphone preg tests too?

(sorry that just blew me away!)

Kitten LOL Yes there are!! Only joke ones though

[Kitt3n]

rofl!

I told my hubby about this and he said

Yeah, i'm going to be ****ing around with an iphone to do simple math while my wife is about to give birth.

Bless his little cotton socks!

It's so funny how differently men react to labour/childbirth!!!

[Visitor6]

You go an use whatever you two want!

Don't pay for them though as they generally have an on and off button giving you a contraction length time and the number per minute. So they aren't very complicated and therefore not worth paying for: get a free one!

[AliB]

Thanks SB. Don't iphone apps only cost a couple of bucks anyway?!?

Yeah I think most of them are essentially stop watches - they also remember previous readings so you don't need to note any readings down, you can just look every now and then to see 'the last 10 have been coming every 5 minutes' or the like.

Some of them have serious functions that we don't want or need. Like 'progress of labour' - if it isn't enough having the midwifes and OB pushing labour along, as if you want your bloody iphone warning you that you're not dilating fast enough!!!

While I appreciate there is value in relaxing and letting labour happen, surely the vast majority of first time labouring couple obsessively time contractions at home while wondering IS IT TIME TO GO TO HOSPITAL YET??!! So I guess a stopwatch type function is all we need.

[Jahzara]

Doesnt the iphone have a stopwatch in the "clock button" ?

*toddles off to look at her iphone*

Will be back !

ETA - yes it does - has a world clock, alarm, stopwatch and timer....

Maybe you could just use that function ??

[AliB]

Thanks Jahzara. I'm not the iphoner, my DP has one.

The counter on this website shows what a simple contraction timer can do in terms of building up a record and calculating/recording the interval between contractions ... Contraction Master: Your FREE, online contraction timing assistant!

Anyhoo I think i'll go with something simple like the above. I quite like the idea of having the record afterwards and also not having to squint at the clock or write down numbers if trying to sleep through early labour. (I'm sure we still won't be hitting that little button once labour is well established, Kitten - especially not when I'm 'about to give birth'!!)

I guess I should have posted this question to the technology section

Thanks all for your input

[HollyC]

My husband just downloaded a free one. I guess it has the advantage over a stopwatch because it records the info. The one he got also has to option of emailing the recorded info to your caregiver, which may or may not be helpful.

I think this is something for partners, not for labouring women. My DH has his iphone practically glued to his hand constantly, so I'm sure he will have some fun with it.

And as for whether it is actually beneficial to time contractions. I recently heard a very positive birth story. The woman said that timing contractions was really helpful. Hers were roughly the same length and so her hsuband was able to count down for her. As in, halfway through, only 10 more seconds now. She said this was really helpful. But I guess that would not be the case for everyone.

[AliB]

Thanks HollyC

My DP is like your DH, just loves his phone!!

I was searching around for some freebies - an important feature would seem to be that the timer keeps running in the background if you get a phone call or start another app - hope yours does that.

I have read similar birth stories where the timing of the length of the contraction has been a key pain management tool... eg the DH counts into a contraction before it starts, or through the contraction, or they use the timing to mark half way point (Harbour Bridge visualisation method) etc. Whatever works on the day, I say!

Good luck with your timing!

[TeniBear]

The one we have sounds very similar to HollyC's one If I remember right, it's called B's coming, or something along those lines... Comes in handy during antenatal classes - we use it to time how long the midwife talks about stuff I already know

[HollyC]

Yep, it's called something like baby's coming. And apparently it does keep timing if you get a call.

[OceanPrincess]

I would never have thought of that... what a great idea...

My DH is similar, he loved being able to hit "start" and "stop" for me on contractionmaster.com with DD. Also similar, his iphone is glued to his hand so he will like having something useful to do.

Going to download it now...

[Indadhanu]

LMFAO Kitt3n!

I just wanted to come in and say that I honestly laughed out loud when I read this title!! Sorry, completely unproductive. Do you have a watch, a pen, and some paper? Thats how I did it back in the old days!

[lindsaymaree]

I downloaded "labourmate" which is essentially a stop watch that times how long the contractions are and how far apart and then gives you an average length, etc.

Buuuuuut I never used it, when the time came I was way too into everything and totally forgot I'd even downloaded it.

But I can see how it would make your partner feel helpful during contractions, etc. I wish I'd thought to give it to my DP so he'd have stopped fussing over me lol

xx

[AliB]

Do you have a watch, a pen, and some paper? Thats how I did it back in the old days!

Hey Leasha things have moved on since Aug 2008 - get with the times!!

Thanks ladies we have downloaded Baby's Coming for free and DP has given it the