Woman gives birth after finishing Chicago Marathon

[DougG]

And here's my opinion...I don't really care.
I don't know her, she's not part of my world so I just don't care enough to invest much psychic energy into her decision.

Yes...call me shallow

You're a shallow, shallow woman Joanne.
You have the best answer of any of us.

[fstreet]

I think bringing up the consequences is a good point.

The media and many people focus on consequences all the time and it annoys me to no end.

I don't buy into the consequences justify the outcome.

The point I have been trying to make is this: if she was driving around town with her husband, for something to do, and they ended up in a tragic car accident that leads to the loss of life would we be tsk tsking and saying that she shouldn't have been doing something so risky?

Of course not.

Because we do it everyday whether pregnant or not and it never makes the news.

The risk we take driving/walking among traffic is the biggest risk most of us take everyday and yet we brush it off as insignificant. Something we can control - which is why we will take the risk of driving somewhere even if it's just for fun rather then because we "need" to do it.

No evidence has been presented by anyone at any point in this thread to indicate that "running" a marathon at 6.5 km per hour is risky for a healthy pregnant woman.

But waddling a marathon is not something someone does everyday.

And she could have had complications!!!

Yes, there are many "coulds" we could come up with.

All of them contingent on a hypothetical consequence made up in our mind.

Which is why this nonsense about giving her a break because she made it through without any bad consequences is nonsense.

We have speculated about consequences without any of us truly knowing the risk.

So, lets see the stats on this - is it truly riskier for a pregnant woman to waddle a marathon?

I bet it isn't and damn the consequences - hypothetical or real.

[Spirit Unleashed]

I'm so glad we live in a society where she's free to make her own decisions rather than have her behaviour dictated to her by people who know nothing about her or her situation.

You are right IB, she is free to make her own decisions, which she did. Nobody that we know of, dictated to her what she should do. Having said that, others (including us) are free to form their (our) own opinions. Which we have.

Yep...you're right Doug.

And here's my opinion...I don't really care.
I don't know her, she's not part of my world so I just don't care enough to invest much psychic energy into her decision.

Yes...call me shallow

Not just shallow, but cold hearted!!!

[jes]

I'm so glad we live in a society where she's free to make her own decisions rather than have her behaviour dictated to her by people who know nothing about her or her situation.

I agree with you completely.

And I hope everyone who agrees with you is just as libertarian when we have discussions about mandatory bike helmets, mandatory toboggan helmets, etc.

Interesting point! It made me stop and think about this a different way.

[FishPants]

This thread reminded me of this incident:

What I was pregnant with my first son, I went to my doctor to get a note restricting me from having to preform certain duties at my job while I was pregnant. My manager wanted to err on the side of caution (he told me to stay off any ladder, even my 2 foot one), but his manager wanted a doctor's note with specifics. The restrictions I wanted were specific: I did not want to have to lift more than about 30 lb, No climbing (my climbing belt says right on it "Do not use if pregnant", plus the whole "centre of gravity shift and lack of balance" thing that happens during pregnancy), and I did not want to work in houses with smokers. My doctor was away, so I saw one of his associates to get the note.

When I explained what I wanted, she gave me a hard time and said, and this is a direct quote: "Pregnant women run marathons, you know."

[dgrant]

And really, what is the worst that could've happened? She gave birth on the side of the marathon course? So? Babies have been born in far worse places.

Don't bring Alberta into this discussion. Stay on topic please.

[PinkLady]

This thread reminded me of this incident:

What I was pregnant with my first son, I went to my doctor to get a note restricting me from having to preform certain duties at my job while I was pregnant. My manager wanted to err on the side of caution (he told me to stay off any ladder, even my 2 foot one), but his manager wanted a doctor's note with specifics. The restrictions I wanted were specific: I did not want to have to lift more than about 30 lb, No climbing (my climbing belt says right on it "Do not use if pregnant", plus the whole "centre of gravity shift and lack of balance" thing that happens during pregnancy), and I did not want to work in houses with smokers. My doctor was away, so I saw one of his associates to get the note.

When I explained what I wanted, she gave me a hard time and said, and this is a direct quote: "Pregnant women run marathons, you know."

The doctor you saw gave you a hard time about writing you a note excusing you from climbing ladders and being around SMOKERS when you were pregnant?!?

Wow, my jaw is on the floor.

[Spirit Unleashed]

And really, what is the worst that could've happened? She gave birth on the side of the marathon course? So? Babies have been born in far worse places.

Don't bring Alberta into this discussion. Stay on topic please.

[CinC]

And really, what is the worst that could've happened? She gave birth on the side of the marathon course? So? Babies have been born in far worse places.

Don't bring Alberta into this discussion. Stay on topic please.

+1

THAT made me laugh.

[Jwolf]

I'm so glad we live in a society where she's free to make her own decisions rather than have her behaviour dictated to her by people who know nothing about her or her situation.

I agree with you completely.

And I hope everyone who agrees with you is just as libertarian when we have discussions about mandatory bike helmets, mandatory toboggan helmets, etc.

Interesting point! It made me stop and think about this a different way.

Really? Isn't that the obvious point people are making when they are concerned about the welfare of a pregnant woman?

That's what makes this situation different than someone running a marathon when they are sick or whatever, as has been compared to before. And even if, as others have said, they don't really care about the risks she's taking with her personal choices, I draw the line when we are talking about protecting children or unborn babies (or others who cant decide for themselves).

If you decide not to put your own seatbelt on, that's fine with me (if I'm in a libertarian mood). But if you don't buckle up your child, that's a different story.

[turd ferguson]

I'm so glad we live in a society where she's free to make her own decisions rather than have her behaviour dictated to her by people who know nothing about her or her situation.

I agree with you completely.

And I hope everyone who agrees with you is just as libertarian when we have discussions about mandatory bike helmets, mandatory toboggan helmets, etc.

Interesting point! It made me stop and think about this a different way.

Really? Isn't that the obvious point people are making when they are concerned about the welfare of a pregnant woman?

That's what makes this situation different than someone running a marathon when they are sick or whatever, as has been compared to before. And even if, as others have said, they don't really care about the risks she's taking with her personal choices, I draw the line when we are talking about protecting children or unborn babies (or others who cant decide for themselves).

If you decide not to put your own seatbelt on, that's fine with me (if I'm in a libertarian mood). But if you don't buckle up your child, that's a different story.

People are astonishingly inconsistent. Start talking about a child, or a potential child, or a pregnant woman, or a woman who might be pregnant, or a woman of childbearing age, or a person entitled to be treated in a hospital at the public expense, and person slightly to the permissive side of Ron Paul can suddenly turn into a screaming fascist.

[Doonst]

don't you mean Ru Paul

[La]

Hey, hey, hey! What's with the picking on redheads???

[mcshame]

Hey, hey, hey! What's with the picking on redheads???

Mike was picking on redheads way back in the thread, I was wondering what happened to you!

[turd ferguson]

Hey, hey, hey! What's with the picking on redheads???

Mike was picking on redheads way back in the thread, I was wondering what happened to you!

As soon as I read the news report, I said to myself "its gonna be a redhead". I wasn't disappointed.

[FishPants]

This thread reminded me of this incident:

What I was pregnant with my first son, I went to my doctor to get a note restricting me from having to preform certain duties at my job while I was pregnant. My manager wanted to err on the side of caution (he told me to stay off any ladder, even my 2 foot one), but his manager wanted a doctor's note with specifics. The restrictions I wanted were specific: I did not want to have to lift more than about 30 lb, No climbing (my climbing belt says right on it "Do not use if pregnant", plus the whole "centre of gravity shift and lack of balance" thing that happens during pregnancy), and I did not want to work in houses with smokers. My doctor was away, so I saw one of his associates to get the note.

When I explained what I wanted, she gave me a hard time and said, and this is a direct quote: "Pregnant women run marathons, you know."

The doctor you saw gave you a hard time about writing you a note excusing you from climbing ladders and being around SMOKERS when you were pregnant?!?

Wow, my jaw is on the floor.

She was ok with the smoker part, it was the lifting and climbing she was scoffing at.

[fstreet]

Well, sadly I am unable to find a link to the podcast of a doctor who was on CBC this morning discussing this case.

To paraphrase based on memory (and note my bias per my earlier comments):

Basically, his knee jerk reaction was concern for the health of the woman and the baby.

As he looked into it a bit more he realized that she was already a runner and she effectively walked (or waddled as I prefer to say) the marathon.

He talked, quite interestingly, about hormones that can effect the joints etc... (I think someone mentioned pelvic floor in the posts above which he also discussed in relation to hormones).

Given that the woman was a runner before and during her pregnancy, and given that she was able to continue to run during her pregnancy and complete the marathon, obviously she was not being effected by the hormones in a way that some newbie runner would be.

He pointed out an incident where a pregnant woman started using a stairmaster and ended up being very sore from it (and not just the "first time in awhile" exercise effect).

He also mentioned concern over oxygen and blood flow to the baby (part of his initial gut instinct) - basically, he came down on this being theoretical.

It would seem to make sense but then a plausible argument can be made that with this "redhead" maintaining her running fitness level then she was benefiting her baby throughout the pregnancy with better blood pressure etc, etc.

And, once again, given her particular history and health, would mean that for her to waddle the marathon isn't the big deal that some people are making it out to be.

He also specified that she is likely one in a million or at least one in a hundred thousand. To do this really requires someone who is already in good shape and who does not have the problems related to the release of the hormones during pregnancy as mentioned above.

I will check again later to see if they post the interview as the whole thing was interesting but what I took away from it is that had he been counselling this "redhead" he would likely have cleared her too upon knowing all of the facts.

Next time this happens I hope it's a brunette so we can get the redhead bias out of the way.

[CAW]

I wonder if this pregnant redhead would fall victim to the same "bias".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYRSSACstnQ

[fstreet]

Well, I do have a weakness for redheads wearing red dresses: http://youtu.be/Tt6aMLejKZs

[HCcD]

I dunno,

With all the medical on the course, it might actually be a safe place for her to be!

Not that it would be my choice however

Considering what happened in Toronto this past weekend at the race, Lisa ... you just proved the point ...

A total of seven people were taken to hospital from the race, Dr. Minnes said, including one female spectator in active labour.

[AjaxRunner]

Difference is, the spectator in Toronto needed an ambulance to get to hospital. The runner in Chicago went by car.

Obviously that means spectating is more dangerous than running for late term pregnant women.