You may use a stopwatch, a clock with a second hand, or an online timing tool to keep track of the frequency and duration of your contractions. Have a pencil and paper handy as well so that you can record the numbers and recognize patterns.  Use a precise timer, rather than a digital clock without seconds. Since contractions often last under a minute, it's important to be able to time them to the second. Make a chart to help you easily record the data. Create a column titled "Contractions," one titled "Time Started" and a third titled "Time Ended." Include a fourth column called "Duration" to calculate how long each contraction lasts, and a fifth column called "Time Between Contractions" to calculate the length of time elapsed between the beginning of one contraction and the beginning of the next one. Do not start in the middle or at the end of an already-occurring contraction. If you-or whoever is experiencing the contractions-are in the middle of a contraction when you decide to start timing them, wait for the next contraction to begin. When you feel your abdomen tighten, start the timer or begin watching the clock and jot down the time in the "Time Started" column.  The more accuracy you can provide, the better. For example, instead of writing "10 PM," write "10:03:30 PM." If the contraction did start exactly at 10 PM, then write "10:00:00 PM." When the pain subsides, and the contraction ends, record the exact moment it stopped. Again, include as much information and accuracy as you can.  Now that the first contraction is over, you can fill in the "Duration" column. For example, if the contraction began at 10:03:30 and ended at 10:04:20, the duration of the contraction was 50 seconds. Record other information about the contraction, such as where the pain began, what it felt like, and so on. This could be useful as the contractions continue and you begin to notice patterns. Subtract the start time of the previous contraction from the start time of this contraction and you'll know how far apart your contractions are. For example, if the previous contraction started at 10:03:30 and this contraction started at 10:13:30, then your contractions are exactly 10 minutes apart.
حددي أدوات الحساب التي ستقومي باستخدامها. ابدئي بحساب الوقت من بداية الانقباض. اكتبي وقت بدء الانقباض. اكتبي وقت انتهاء الانقباض. سجلي وقت بدء الانقباض التالي.