Instead of having a rest after completing the Chicago Marathon, pregnant Amber Miller gave birth.

Mrs Miller, who was nearly 39 weeks pregnant, said "it was the longest day of my life". She gave birth to a healthy 7.7lb (3.5kg) girl, June.

The marathon was the eighth for the 27-year-old, who already had one child. On her doctor's orders she ran half and walked half the distance.

"Lots of people were cheering me on: 'Go pregnant lady'," she said.

"For me, it wasn't anything out of the ordinary. I was running up until that point anyway," she told Associated Press news agency.

"I am crazy about running."

Because she half-walked the race, she finished the 26.2 mile (42.16km) course in 6:25 - slower than her usual pace.

"A few minutes after finishing, the contractions became stronger than normal and I understood what was going on," she said.

"When they became more regular, we had a sandwich and then we left for hospital," Mrs Miller added.

Maybe this will start a new trend:  A marathon race for pregnant women. A huge cash bonus will be awarded to anyone giving birth while crossing the finish line.