Woman gives birth after running Chicago Marathon

Runners participate in the Chicago Marathon in Chicago, Sunday, Oct. 9, 2011. / AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

CHICAGO - 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.

She told the newspaper that doctors officially have her listed in labor for 2 hours and 18 minutes before June entered the world, but said she had been receiving contractions since she crossed the finish line at about 3:30 p.m.

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

[nursepractitioner32]

Clearly this woman has been in excellent shape both before and during her entire pregnancy. You don't just wake up one day and decide to run the Chicago Marathon. As far as the advice given by the physician is concerned.......when giving such advice one must consider the health and overall condition of the woman which is unique to each person. Walking 2 miles and running 2 miles is perfectly reasonable. The fetus is quite safe being protected by the mother's body. The baby has an excellent weight and is most likely in excellent health due to her mother's commitment to aerobic exercise.
Pregnancy is a temporary condition, not an illness and if you are active pre-pregnancy there is no reason not to continue unless there is some underlying condition. Essentially listen to your physician or nurse midwife and take their advice.

[duesbeenpaid]

This woman comes first, before her unborn child- it's all about HER- I feel bad for that child. I don't care how fit you are- running a marathon this late in your pregnancy is RISKY, selfish and stupid!!!

[Deranged_Housewife]

This is less about competition and more about seeing pregnancy as an illness and a "delicate condition." Some of the moronic comments on here amaze me, as if this woman and her baby are public property that we all have a stake in. She got the go ahead from her physician - and ran a prior marathon only 10 months after her first child was born. This woman is in excellent physical shape, obviously, and it's not like she was sprinting the entire time. As an athlete, I'm sure she knows the limitations of her body and is not being as reckless as everyone thinks she is. I cannot believe some of the uneducated, hateful comments directed at this woman.

Keeping fit is an excellent idea during pregnancy, as long as you are used to the exercise - which it sounds like she is. Remaining upright and keeping moving are excellent ways to cope with labor - which is probably why she delivered her baby only two hours after getting to the hospital. People think giving birth is all about being strapped to the delivery table and sequestered to your room with an epidural the entire time, but it doesn't have to be. These comments reflect the very dysfunctional, mythical ideas about pregnancy and childbirth that our culture has. Very sad.

[PourpaixPourpaix]

Yes, I see your point, of course. Bragging rights to have run a marathon while full-term is soooooo much more important than considering the child. And since the child is probably going to be violently thrown around his/her entire life anyway, you might as well start off with a nice violent shake in the womb. Perhaps a nice fall-flat-on-the-face trip or two would be just what this baby needs to start life. That's if, of course, emergency vehicles can get through the blocked-off streets to this woman in time. And you're right, we don't have all the facts. For all we know, her husband was dutifully following right behind her with a catcher's mask, staying silent about the possible dangers and therefore fulfilling the role expected of him in this modern day. After all, his only rights concerning the baby is that he be granted the privilege of having enough time to write the checks while he is cut out of the kid's life by the mother.

[Transatlantique]

Why? Was she giving her uterus the stress test? What if it had failed? This is what happens in a society that places competition over truth and rationality. Its become a game player society, which has carried over into business as well that has been the bane of many a retail worker. I'm sick of competition, games, and people who think that if one doesn't like those things, there is something wrong with someone. This woman should be ashamed of herself.

[longtree-2009]

idiot. cares more about a stupid race than for the child she was carrying. the doctor should lose his license and the mother should be charged with child abuse and perhaps have the child taken away from her. but nothin will happen to the mother, the doctor, or the child's father. nothing shocks anymore in this united states. as for the child, only time will tell if the child is totally unharmed. the mother should be the poster model for the word, narcissism. what a pile.

[anneable]

Irresponsible, self-centered woman.

[guybo211]

I may be wrong, but I believe the father was also in the marathon and the Mrs. beat him.

[AnnieDanny]

Almost full term and she ran a marathon for more than 6 hours? I bet this baby will have a terrible case of colic.

I can't imagine any doctor or marathon committee giving an ok on this. Is this article a hoax???

[junebug1965]

What a moron, and her doctor too. I've been advised through three pregnancies that you shouldn't have strenuous exercise in the last trimester. Taking your baby's health at risk is nothing to be proud of.

[credibility2]

The woman and her doctor are both idiots. The marathon is rigourous enough for people not in this condition, let alone someone pregnant and this far gone in their pregnancy. I knew a woman who went on with her aerobics routine with the blessing of her doctor. The woman delivered early and her kid had permanent respiratory problems.

[wlhoppers]

Absolute idiots. I'm very glad mom and the baby are ok but I still think she and her doctor have nothing to be proud of.

[mari1963]

Very stupid. She should not have been running the marathon in the first place! If there is a father to this baby, then he's even more stupid for not stopping her! Doesn't he care?