The 17 year old girl actually went to her prom, had the baby in the ladies room, and then continued with the prom. That sounds like an urban legend, but it’s true. Happened in New Jersey.
All the mothers I know were totally puzzled and freaked out by it.
Back to the original news story, when I heard the “punchline,” I couldn’t believe it.
Is there some biological mechanism that, if you don’t want your baby, you have it in thirty minutes and don’t even need a shower to go out after? I don’t know any mothers who will admit to having been in labor for less than your average prom, and most clock in at a lot longer. It’s usually their first baby, too, right? Is it just that longer-laboring women are more likely to be discovered and sent to the emergency room?
I have wondered that myself.
With my first, I labored for a total of about 24 hours, with the last 10 being really damn painful (all praise and glory for drugs and epidurals). I wasn’t able to get to my feet at one point, let alone go to a fucking prom!
With my second, the total labor was much shorter (about 6 hours), with only the last couple of hours being really insane.
The pushing was minimal both times- once the babe was in position, I pushed MAYBE 3 or 4 times and the kid flew out! 
Another thought- there is a rather significant amount of blood and other fluids present during the birth of a child. I suppose one could hold up a prom dress and squat, but…
Eeew. Just friggin’ eeew.
Exactly! Your second sounds like what I’d think of as “relatively easy labor”, and the prom would have definately been way over by the time you got done with it. Even dogs and cats get worn out after dropping a litter, which they do in prom-time.
Perhaps the power of denial is actually quite strong? These women have covered up their pregnancies and don’t want their babies, perhaps they have denied it so much that they can block out the pain of childbirth and the after effects? Perhaps they are almost delusional in that respect.
Whereas women who have planned and prepared for the big event are expecting it to be long and painful and something that they have to experience to get to the reward of finally getting to hold they child they love and want.
mebbe drugs are involved?
My understanding is that in extrememly rare cases, a birth can be almost effortless (relatively speaking). No accounting for blood, placenta, etc., though.
I realize it’s purely anecdotal, but in my family, my mom, sisters, cousins, aunts - all the female blood members of that side of the family - all have had EXTREMELY short and easy labors. My mom labored less than five hours with me, her first child, and less than three with my brother. My sisters’ first children were born within three-four hours each time (actually, my oldest sister’s husband didn’t believe her when she said they had to go to the hospital RIGHT NOW since she’d just begun labor not a half hour ago - good thing he listened because it was over an hour to get to the hospital, and the kid came out within thirty minutes of being at the hospital. My niece was almost born in the car.
I expect to have fairly short labors when I get pregnant, too - just because it runs in the family. We realize we’re a bit of an oddity, but if someone had a labor like my family’s, I can see how they’d be able to get up immediately. Combined with an adrenaline rush of fear, it might be possible.
E.
My mother’s first labor lasted 2hrs, 30 minutes. Her second (me) lasted 1 hr, 15 minutes (about). I guess we gots them birthin’ hips.
On another message board I frequent, a poster discovered she was 8.5 months pregnant when she took a fall and went to the hospital for xrays. She was on Depo-Provera, which can eliminate periods, so it was not out of line that she hadn’t had her period in some time. I saw a photo she took of herself, she didn’t “look pregant” (yes baby was a healthy weight) – just looked like a person with an “apple” type body shape. And no, was not hugely overweight for her frame (maybe size 12-14). It truly is possible.