Woman Gives Birth After Completing Chicago Marathon

CHICAGO (AP) -- A pregnant suburban Chicago woman felt contractions a few minutes after finishing the Chicago Marathon and gave birth hours later to a baby daughter.

Amber Miller was nearly 39 weeks pregnant when she started the 26.2 mile race on Sunday morning. The DuPage County woman tells the Daily Herald in a telephone interview from her hospital bed that her doctor allowed her to run half the race and walk half the race.

Miller says she felt contractions after finishing at 6 hours and 25 minutes. When the contractions became regular she stopped to get a sandwich and then went to the hospital. Her baby girl June was born at 10:29 p.m. weighing 7 pounds, 13 ounces.

Miller says she's happy but calls Sunday "the longest day of my life."

Comments

[CullyRay]

08:20 PM on 10/12/2011

Somebody mentioned an "UNfan" button... where is it? I fanned a couple of people a while back and now I can't get rid of them. Have asked HuffingtonPost four times and they have never replied so now I'm asking here... sorry if it tweeks a nerve.

[Parkite]

08:34 PM on 10/12/2011

Next to the persons "# of fans", under their name or bio is a star and beside that it says either Become a fan (if you haven't fanned them) or Unfan (if you have fanned them). Clink on UNFAN.

[CullyRay]

09:33 PM on 10/12/2011

I found it!!! it's next to their name when they comment... oh thank you.... thank you... hugz and Thanks!!!

[Rogelio Lopez]

11:16 AM on 10/12/2011

Why is everybody hating on this woman??? I could only wish I could run a marathon, let alone run it while pregnant......This lady deserves her own Nike running commercial!!

[lissie305]

09:51 AM on 10/12/2011

WOW! There are a lot of doctors posting today!

[Sundae Driver]

05:48 AM on 10/12/2011

My wife played tennis daily, up to the day before our son was born, and all was fine. But this marathon seems like a bit much.

[Gramoha]

01:43 AM on 10/12/2011

Why is everyone making a big deal about this. She was obviously in shape before and during her pregnancy. It obviously did not do any harm to the baby. I read a comment saying "shaken baby syndrome" If that were the case, the baby would be dead upon delivery. Haters gunna hate anyway though. That's what they do.

[EdVanImpe]

05:33 AM on 10/12/2011

you sound as dumb as her doctor ...

[Parkite]

07:17 PM on 10/12/2011

In a good part of the world now and in a good part of the South in years gone by, poor women work/ed in the fields or where ever until they delivered and then went back to work. It is only in modern societies that women have the "luxury" to take it easy before and after the birth of their children.

Child birth used to be considered a natural process.

[Gramoha]

08:11 AM on 10/14/2011

No sir, you do. Why does this make me dumb? Are you aware women are suppose to exercise and be in shape during their pregnancy? Probably not. Maybe take a class or two on it, and actually LEARN about pregnant women and come back an insult me. Sure what she did was a little extreme, but in whose eyes? People who are JEALOUS that she can run a marathon at all. It's inspiring. She did not let her pregnancy hold her back. Go get an education and then come back to insult me.

[loviatar40]

12:38 AM on 10/12/2011

I know that some women like to try to prove how hardcore they are by doing very physically demanding things while pregnant, but this is just insane! She could have seriously harmed herself or her unborn child. Running a few miles while pregnant is one thing, but a marathon? I do have to say though, she must be in great shape. I could barely walk when I was 39 weeks pregnant.

[akhenatuh]

12:33 AM on 10/12/2011

Showboat! Another way to 15 minutes of fame.

[Lovekaley2006]

12:04 AM on 10/12/2011

LOSER

[jrsurferboy]

12:04 AM on 10/12/2011

im sure that i saw,her on,that show.i did not know i was,pregnant.so i ran a,marathon.
and won a baby,at the end.great show.....

[RojoChicken]

02:27 AM on 10/12/2011

really?

[cyoohoos]

08:58 PM on 10/17/2011

there really is a show called, I didn't know I was pregnant. Sad but true.

[physixchick]

11:46 PM on 10/11/2011

Athlete or not, it doesn't take a rocket scientists to know that running 26 + miles can't be good for a soon to be born baby. Selfish much???

[joellen835]

11:53 PM on 10/11/2011

She didn't run 26 miles. She ran some, and walked some and with her doctors permission. I've known a lot of women who ran up until they delivered their babies, and not one of them had a baby who suffered any ill effects. To those who aren't in good shape, just walking to the mailbox can be tasking.

[Exercise401]

12:16 AM on 10/12/2011

Really???? Running a marathon at 39 weeks! She was just being selfish and it's obvious that the baby's health and well being came second to what she wanted to do. Does anyone care

[dmm1047]

11:38 PM on 10/11/2011

Running a marathon 39 weeks pregnant? Did she miss something in the common sense class?

[sue1mar3]

11:50 PM on 10/11/2011

Wow, you really jump to conclusions, don't you?

[njillalane]

11:53 PM on 10/11/2011

Father ran with her.

[RevenBVH]

11:12 PM on 10/11/2011

If she was a black 20 year old this story would be on the crime page. Truth is that straining the heart is dangerous also dehydration. Not to even get into the brain forming at that stage and soft muscle pounding and swaying for a long time, the equalibrium of the forming brain could be damaged. Then their is the neck in the fetal position. If the child was born it would be shaken baby syndrome. Damage won't be known until the child is three.

You have to read and research yourself. Doctors are not doing their jobs these days. This was pretty easy to look up. Just google it.

[njillalane]

11:20 PM on 10/11/2011

The American College of Obstetrics states that if you were a runner BEFORE your pregnancy, you can run after your pregnancy. Of course this would mean that it was not a high risk, etc. pregnancy.

[julieinjc]

11:44 PM on 10/11/2011

Yes. But it doesn't say that you can maintain the same intensity until the end of your pregnancy. Read the whole recommendation next time.

[kathyboling100]

11:49 PM on 10/11/2011

Continuing to run during your pregnancy, is vastly different that doing a marathon while in labor!

Hasn't she ever heard of "shaken baby syndrome"? How could it possibly be good for a full-term baby to be bounced around like that???

[sue1mar3]

11:51 PM on 10/11/2011

She was probably in pretty good condition so the doctors were pretty confident.

[trinity]

11:09 PM on 10/11/2011

She'll end up with a reality show on ESPN (or maybe TLC) or something (and marathoning near your due date will be all the rage within a year)...all is good....

[harolddundee]

10:58 PM on 10/11/2011

Anything to get on TV. What an idiot.

[sue1mar3]

11:52 PM on 10/11/2011

Right, I'm sure she has been training for a marathon and planning her baby's birth to coincide with a race so she might end up in the news.