The pattern means contractions roughly five minutes apart, about one minute long, sustained for approximately one hour.
What each number means
The 5-1-1 shorthand combines three observations into one memorable pattern. “5” refers to contractions beginning around five minutes apart or closer. The first “1” refers to each contraction lasting about one minute. The second “1” refers to that pattern continuing for roughly one hour.
Frequency is normally measured start to start. Duration is measured from the beginning to the end of one contraction. The hour is the span covered by the repeated pattern—not simply an hour since the first isolated sensation.
Why it is a pattern, not a universal rule
Different hospitals, midwives, obstetric practices, pregnancies, and travel situations may use different guidance. A person with a previous fast labor, a high-risk pregnancy, a long trip to the hospital, or instructions specific to their pregnancy may be told to call earlier.
The NHS advises contacting the maternity unit when contractions are regular and coming every five minutes or more often. ACOG advises calling the obstetric care provider whenever labor is suspected or uncertain. Neither source says to ignore concerning symptoms while waiting for a timer.
How Between Contractions evaluates it
Between Contractions looks for a continuous run of completed contractions in the current time window. Every contraction in that run must last at least the configured duration, each must begin no farther apart than the configured interval, and the run must cover the configured time span. A short contraction, an irregular gap, or an incomplete contraction cannot be averaged away to satisfy the pattern.
When all three measurements meet the configured thresholds, the app shows a prominent alert to contact the care team and follow the birth plan. The alert does not determine cervical change, diagnose active labor, or know whether it is safe to stay home.
Use it as a conversation aid
A clear record can make a phone call easier: how many contractions occurred, their average duration, their spacing, and how long the pattern has continued. Those observations give the care team context while they apply the clinical information and individual plan that an app does not have.
If your water breaks, bleeding is heavy, pain is constant and severe, fetal movement is reduced, labor signs happen before 37 weeks, or you are worried for any reason, contact the appropriate medical service without waiting for 5-1-1.