Labor Mate

My iPhone was a valuable tool when my son was born; we used the stopwatch feature to time my contractions. When I was in early labor, it was me, my husband, and my iPhone, charting my progress until I hit the magical “4-1-1” and headed to the hospital. (411 = 4 minutes between contractions, with contraction sets lasting for 1 minute, for a total of 1 hour). Things have changed in the last year-and-a-half… we are expecting a baby girl in June, and apps are now an integral part of our life. I know precisely what I need to help me through my daughter’s labor, and I found it in “Labor Mate”. The app is designed for exactly the purpose I’ve outline above. With the touch of a button, you start the stopwatch and it logs each time interval. After several timed sets you can push the “summary” button and the app will then analyze the time intervals for you. There are a couple other features – like the ability to enter pregnancy details and to email timed intervals – but the key function of this app is to track and analyze contractions. Those looking for a comprehensive childbirth application won’t find it here… it's not that kind of app. “Labor Mate” serves its purpose, and it will be a part of our birth plan as we welcome the newest member of our family.