Mindell, associate director of the Sleep Center at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, told Reuters Health. She points to a study that found women who got less than 6 hours of sleep a night for their last month of pregnancy had longer labors (29 hours vs. American Academy of Sleep Medicine , which is seeking to increase awareness of the importance of sleep for pregnant woman as part of its National Campaign for Healthier Babies Month this October. One in four women will develop restless legs syndrome during pregnancy, noted Mindell, which is "a very uncomfortable, creepy crawly feeling in the legs" that can only be alleviated by moving them around. The syndrome can be related to iron deficiency, which becomes increasingly common after 20 weeks of pregnancy, so women who are experiencing it should get their iron levels checked, she advised. read more

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Labor Administrative Hearing Officer Jerry Cody denied a transfer extension requested by Xiu Yun Zhao, who was then pregnant and gave birth to a baby boy on May 12, 2007. Cody said the record showed that Zhao did not make a good faith effort to find work as she only visited one employer during the entire 45-day period she was given to transfer to a new employer. On the last day of the transfer period, Zhao submitted a request for a hearing on her request for an extension of the transfer period. The Labor director’s position, as stated by Labor counsel during the September 007 hearing, is that unless there is some unusual circumstance or condition involving the pregnancy, an extension of the standard 45-day transfer period should not be granted. read more

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