Looking for a bumpy ride (to induce labor) in DC

August 7, 2014 6:53 AM

We're not convinced that it'll work, either -- but going on 8 days past our due date, we're game for trying anything. Any suggestions on a bumpy road around the DC/Maryland metro area that we could drive along to try to get this labor thing going? Or maybe nearby farms that host hay rides this time of year (ideally one where we don't have to bring 25 of our closest friends)?

Googling "bumpy road" and DC gets a lot of articles about laws that may or may not ever pass. And we've found a few hayride possibilities, but they tend to be geared toward large groups/parties. Any suggestions would be appreciated!

posted by rdn to Travel & Transportation around Washington, DC (17 answers total)

Best answer: Have you Googled roads with the most potholes in DC? Maybe you can rent a car or find a bus? :) Good luck.
posted by roomthreeseventeen at 7:04 AM on August 7, 2014

Have a spicy meal instead. Worked for my wife twice. Or maybe it was just time, but hey who knows.
posted by 724A at 7:05 AM on August 7, 2014 [2 favorites]

Best answer: 16th Street NW is riddled with potholes. Start from Silver Spring and go south.
posted by elisse at 7:05 AM on August 7, 2014

Best answer: Drive through an apartment complex parking lot with speed bumps. I would suggest a gravel or dirt road but that may take you too far away from your doctor. Babies come when they are ready. :)
posted by myselfasme at 7:06 AM on August 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: This will have you driving in circles but several short streets in the area are historic cobblestone (bumpy).

Several blocks of P Street in Georgetown are cobblestone. Additionally there are two (disconnected) city blocks in Old Town Alexandria that are entirely paved with cobblestones. One of them is the 100 block of Prince Street (just one block south of the very busy wharf-boardwalk area). The second one is another street several blocks further North of there, I forget its name.
posted by firetruckred at 7:07 AM on August 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

This sounds pretty dubious. You might want to look at this and this.

Anecdotally, what worked for us (and brought a wonderful mefite into the world), was my wife cleaning the oven as a result of nesting syndrome. But though I'm sure you'll find many people have similar anecdotes, if there were any "natural", reliable and safe method of inducing labor, I'm sure we would have all heard of it by now. As was said, babies come when they're ready.
posted by ubiquity at 7:27 AM on August 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: My Dad owned a few Dairy Queens in the metro ATL area when I was growing up. 35 years ago, my Mom took her then (and still) best friend who was a week overdue to the store to see my Dad, shop, just get out of the house. She was BEYOND miserable. She had a DQ BBQ sandwich for lunch, went into labor that night, healthy baby girl!!

He put on the marquee out front, "If you are due.....try our BBQ". We had at term ladies come for years after that and quite a few more confirmations that DQ BBQ worked!!!

Just a fun story..... Best of luck and big congrats!!
posted by pearlybob at 8:02 AM on August 7, 2014

Best answer: The DuPont Circle area is all torn up as they are laying cable under the road. The hard part will be to get moving quick enough in a car in DC traffic to notice the bumps.
posted by COD at 8:10 AM on August 7, 2014

Best answer: You can achieve similar results by bouncing on a yoga ball. Worked for me (combined with spicy food).
posted by rabbitrabbit at 8:23 AM on August 7, 2014 [4 favorites]

A lady I knew a long time ago swears that she brought on labor for all three of her babies by getting on her hands and knees and vigorously scrubbing her kitchen floor.
posted by Cookbooks and Chaos at 1:19 PM on August 7, 2014

I thought people ran up and down staircases to do this. Any staircases nearby?
posted by trip and a half at 2:04 PM on August 7, 2014

Best answer: Staircase - I recommend the stairs from the south side of the Cathedral down to the George Washington statue.

Road - Off 34th (Reno) just before you get to Mass Ave, go west down Fulton Street through the woods to Normanstone Drive. I can't guarantee potholes now, but traditionally there have always been lots - when I was a kid, we called it the Bumpy Way.
posted by Pallas Athena at 2:33 PM on August 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Thanks to all for the suggestions (and extra advice)! If something works (a particular road or otherwise), we'll report back. Suspect you're right that it's more about the baby being ready, but a little BBQ isn't bad collateral damage...
posted by rdn at 3:44 PM on August 7, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: On 26 August, 1962, my Mom and Dad went to DC and walked all around the National Zoo. I was born on August 27th :)
posted by PlantGoddess at 5:48 AM on August 8, 2014

Best answer: Hopefully you've had the baby by now, but if not try Huitalacoche tacos, we're half convinced this is what started labor with my son (6 weeks early, so not such a good thing in that case).
posted by pennypiper at 11:44 AM on August 9, 2014

Response by poster: Thank you again to everyone for the excellent answers! I've been meaning to check back in, but our newborn has made it slightly more difficult to keep up with MeFi. For the record, we went into labor the night we tried this labor inducing eggplant Parmesan recipe, suggested by my sister-in-law... Whether it was the eggplant or just time, we may never know!
posted by rdn at 6:51 PM on August 14, 2014 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Mazel Tov! Send Scalini's a picture!
posted by 724A at 8:52 PM on August 14, 2014