iPhone apps for expecting mothers

Pregnancy is a special time in a woman's life. It's also a stressful time when mothers-to-be worry about everything from what the baby will look like to what college the baby will attend later. You don't have to lose your mind while trying to keep track of your pregnancy and labor milestones. Download these apps to help you keep your sanity and your memories while you're expecting.

WomanLog Pregnancy Calendar: The free version of the app lets you track weekly information about your pregnancy, your weight, your waistline and symptoms. You'll receive updates each week telling you how your baby is developing along with pictures of what babies look like at each stage. The app also features a countdown to the moment you'll never sleep the same again of your baby's arrival. WomanLog (not fond of the name) is free in iTunes.

Foods to Avoid When Pregnant: If you've ever been pregnant, you know your doctor rattles off quite a list of things that you should avoid eating and drinking while you're pregnant. I could never remember them and had to look up information on fish quite a bit during my pregnancy. The app tells you what to avoid in categories like dairy, drinks, fish, meat and more. If you're not sure about something that's listed in the app, ask your doctor. Some of these lists are way too conservative about some things that are perfectly fine to have in moderation. This app is 99 cents in the iTunes store.

Baby Kicks: This was one app that I personally used a lot during my last trimester, and for us, it was potentially lifesaving. It may seem absurd to say that about an app, but it's true. As my pregnancy was nearing its end, I used this daily to do kick counts. Three weeks before he was born, I noticed that it was taking him longer and longer to reach his kick counts. He was still getting his kicks in enough time, though, so I was told that it was because he had less room to move. The day before I went to the hospital, it took just over an hour to get the number of kicks in, so I decided not to panic. The next day, I felt no movement all day, so I went to the ER, presented them with the information on my kick counts (as well as other symptoms), and was taken in for surgery that night after a biophysical exam didn't detect enough movement. Sure, you can count kicks mentally, but an app like this can help you see even slight changes in patterns to catch problems before they become too serious. Baby Kicks is $0.99 in the iTunes store.

50,000 Baby Names: If you're headed to the hospital, birthing center or wherever you plan to have birth and still don't have a name picked out, this app offers up plenty of ideas – more than 50,000 of them, in fact. The app has many search and filtering options, name meanings and origins, random name buttons, name lists and more. The app is free in iTunes.

WebMD Pregnancy: This app just launched in March, but it already has rave reviews from expecting mothers. The app contains doctor-approved information and advice for each week of pregnancy or while you're trying to conceive. It has hundreds of articles, quizzes, videos, slideshows and tools. With this app, you can create questions and topics to ask your doctor, checklists with reminders, and save your personalized information to track your pregnancy. It also includes a pregnancy journal where you can input your milestones, take belly pictures and use the kick counter to see how active your baby is. You can even view your belly pictures as a slideshow to see how your belly grows over the length of the pregnancy.

Full Term – Labor Contraction Timer: This handy app is one of the most convenient ways to keep track of your contractions in order to give an accurate report to your doctor or nurse. Both Mom and Dad will want to put this app on their phones in case one person forgets theirs in the rush to the hospital. Simply tap a button to track the start and end of each contraction. This app is free in iTunes.

So, there you have it, my must-have apps for expecting moms. Once baby is here, don't forget to check out the must-have apps for new moms.

Pictures courtesy nanny snowflake via Flickr.