“What if my baby decides to come….during the Presidential Inauguration?”
As much as we plan, sometimes Murphy’s law strikes at the most inopportune time. Forty plus weeks to prepare for the impending birth of your baby may very likely end with your baby picking one of the busiest traffic and travel delay days for our area on February 20th, as the capital and surrounding metropolitan areas prepare for the festivities surrounding Inauguration Day. While this may seem stressful while imagining the scenarios of labor and rushing to your birthing location unfolding, don’t sweat it! Here are some tips for those wide awake ‘what if’ nights ahead:
You have plenty of time to arrive at your birthing site.
This is a well remembered (and true!) sentiment for birthing families. In most scenarios, birth and early labor is not a drop everything and run event. Most families enjoy laboring for quite a lengthy amount of time at home prior to readying themselves for the ride to their birth site. Especially for first time mothers, early labor can last as long as 12-18 hours; enjoy your time and relax with those first, spaced out, yet regular early contractions. If labor begins on Inauguration Day, chances are actually great that baby won’t arrive until most events causing traffic delays are over.
Alternate routes to hospitals in the area, especially within D.C., are accessible for planning and convenience.
While many streets and major thruways will experience closures within D.C., many alternate, efficient routes are planned throughout the city to allow traffic to continue efficiently to the major hospitals. While traffic will be impacted in Maryland for those entering and leaving the city for work, similar bypasses will make for a smoother ride. Plan an alternate route for the 20th in case you need one, and sleep well knowing that your ride will be as smooth as possible!
Here is a handy guide for the latest information on road closures and delays:
http://wtop.com/inauguration/2017/01/inauguration-day-2017-survival-guide-street-closures-metro-service-parade-route/
Consider Metro or Uber.
It may sound silly, but if you're within city limits or live close to the hospital, it may not be the worst option to have someone else drive! This will allow your support person to help you relax during the ride and ensure that you arrive safely and aren't tempted to make rash driving decisions to get to the hospital faster.
Don’t allow worry about your commute disrupt your labor.
Many, many times a great labor pattern and relaxed, calm experience can be disrupted by worry about the car ride and length of the trip to the hospital. Often, this influences women who are coping beautifully at home to arrive at their birth site much sooner than they would like, which in itself can disrupt an otherwise normal labor. While all labors can take a slight pause or delay in contractions during the transfer to the hospital, labor is much more likely to continue as planned when a woman is in established, active labor. Many providers have different recommendations for when to arrive; trust your intuition and these guidelines and the rest will fall into place!
No matter when your baby decides to make their arrival, rejoice in the unknown! Major metropolitan events can sometimes cause chaos, but for you and your baby, it will only add to the enjoyment of remembering the events of an unforgettable moment in your lives.