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LaborWeeks 36–42

What Does the 5-1-1 Rule Mean? Timing Contractions Before You Call

5-1-1 means contractions 5 minutes apart, each lasting 1 minute, for 1 hour. It is a rule of thumb for active labor; your provider or midwife may use another.

  • MyPregnancy editorial
  • Updated
  • 1 min read
  • 7 sources

Not yet medically reviewed. This article sums up published guidance from the sources at the end. It is not medical advice: follow your own midwife or doctor.

On this page
  1. How each number is measured
  2. A rule is a point to call
A plain white wall clock with black hands on a pale blue wall.
Photo by Moritz Kindler on Unsplash

5-1-1 is a traditional rule of thumb for judging when early labor has moved into active labor. It is met when:

  • 5: contractions come every 5 minutes
  • 1: each one lasts a full minute
  • 1: this pattern has kept up for 1 hour

Some newer advice uses 4-1-1 or 3-1-1 instead, with contractions 4 or 3 minutes apart. Ask your provider which rule they want you to use.

Labor contractions come at regular times and get closer together. Each one lasts about 60 to 90 seconds. Timing them over an hour shows whether they are following that pattern.

How each number is measured

The gap between contractions is timed from the start of one to the start of the next. The length is timed from when a contraction starts to when it ends. The contraction timer measures both for you.

A rule is a point to call

A rule like this tells you when to call. It cannot show what is happening in your cervix, and neither can the timer. If something worries you before the rule is met, call anyway.

You can save the rule you are given as My rule, and the timer will tell you once when it is met.

Before your due date, ask your provider when they want you to call and how to reach them after office hours.

Sources

  1. Lamaze InternationalLabor Day: What To Expect
  2. NHSSigns that labour has begun
  3. NHSThe stages of labour and birth
  4. NHS40 weeks pregnant guide
  5. Office on Women's HealthLabor and birth
  6. ACOGHow to Tell When Labor Begins
  7. ACOGPreterm Labor and Birth

Last checked .

Written by the MyPregnancy editorial team from the sources above.

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