Recent INOVA Fairfax experience?

[Anonymous]

I love my OG (Dr. Silas) and he delivers at INOVA Fairfax. I read some postings regarding experiences (bad and good) there but they are rather old now and I know things change pretty frequently! SO, if anyone has delivered there in the past couple of months, I'd love to hear what you think. Thank you.

[Anonymous]

I just delivered at Inova Fairfax in June and had a great experience. The nurses were fantastic and very helpful. Good luck to you - Dr. Silas (he's absolutely my favorite) delivered my DS and was going to deliver DD but she decided to make an early appearance (Dr. Berry delivered her and it was a good experience too).

[Anonymous]

I'm delivering there in late October. A few of my friends have delivered there and said it was a good experience for them. The night after my maternity tour, I had to make an emergency visit there due to suspected pre-eclampsia and I thought the doctors and nurses who took care of me were great, and the admissions staff were great as well.

That said, the triage bed was *not* especially comfortable, so you should probably obey your doctor's suggestion to labor at home in the early stages and come in when you're a bit farther along. (i think every-5-minutes contractions is when I'm supposed to go in.)

I have heard that Inova Fairfax has a higher number of interventions, so it maybe isn't the best place for a "natural" childbirth if that's what you're seeking. Also, it's a teaching hospital, so there's the potential for medical students to see your hoo-ha.

[Anonymous]

I delivered at Fairfax in July and it was overall a pretty mediocre experience. The night nurses weren't the best and they had a student shadowing them. The first time I was there (I was admitted twice), the night nurse had the student try to put in my IV and she blew out my vein (which resulted in really bad swelling and a bruise around my entire forearm). The nurse put it in the other arm. When my induction failed and I had to come back a few days later there was no good place to put the IV because they had already used both arms. Moral of the story -- I would not let the student do ANYTHING. Just let them watch. I also thought the residents that I had both sucked. They had attitudes and were rude and abrupt. Other than that the day nurses were good and helpful.

Lastly, the room I had wasn't clean (literally there was leftover blood that I had to call the nurse and have them clean) and was gross.

I don't mean to scare you by all of this -- just check out the room they put you in to make sure it's clean and don't let the students touch you!

[Anonymous]

OP here:

Thank you for all of the comments, they are appreciated! Seeing how I have an "issue" with needles, chances are slim I'll let a student insert one

Were you able to have your own room? My husband had neck surgery there and he was promised a private room but when we got to the neurosurgery floor, it was obvious there was no way he'd get one. The place was packed and in the three days he was there, one never became available. I'll go on the tour in a few months (I am only 16 weeks) but couldn't find anything on their web site about private rooms.

Thank you all very much for the insight.

[Anonymous]

Yes, both times I delivered at Fairfax I had my own private room. I've had many friends who have delivered there and not one has ever had a problem getting their own private room. As for the PP who had a dirty room - that's disgusting and I'm sorry you experienced that. I had great experiences overall, I'm sure you will too. Fingers crossed for a safe, happy, and healthy pregnancy and delivery.

[Anonymous]

Private rooms at Fairfax exist, but are first come first served. I delivered there in late 2006 (so perhaps this info is a bit stale) but we spent a couple of hours in a shared room before a private room freed up.

I never saw a student, though. Lucky, since I too have a thing about needles, OP.

Best of everything!

[Anonymous]

i just delivered my baby in the end of Auguest at Fairfax Inova hospital. For most of the parts, it was great. But I don't like the nurses very much, here is my experience.
1. i tried to send my baby to the nursury room during the night, I called the nurse but they didn't appear to pick up the baby. I called them several times and finally an old lady showed up after one hour and picked up my baby. However, after sending my baby to the nursury room for 1 hour, they send my baby back and said something like my baby was too noisy. They cannot take care of my baby because he cried too loud. But if my baby is very quite in the night, why I need to send my baby out? In addition, they kept saying that I had a colic baby since he kept crying in the night. However, after checking with my doctors, they said my baby was confused day and night. So he cannot sleep very well in the night. And my doctor is right, after going home for 2 weeks, my baby slept like a pig in the night.
2. There is a young nurse just start her career 6 months ago. That nurse is not very experienced. She took care of me for 2 days. She appeared to be nice but keep asking me when I will check out. I told her my insurance paid 4 days for C-section but she didn't believe me and keep saying that I should move out at the 3rd day. So I informed all of my friends that I will go home at the 3rd day. After that, my doctor said that I can stay for 4 days for C-section. in addition, I had a baby boy, and he was circumcised. The doctor we need to put oniment on his penis for 1 week to avoid the diapper hurt him. But when that young nurse helps us change my baby's diaper, she didn't clean or put any oniment. I tried to talk to her, but she said it is not necessary. So the next time I changed the diaper, my baby was bleeding.
Anyway, good luck to you all.

[Anonymous]

Re: the private room, I am delivering there in November. When you go on your tour they instruct you to tell the nurse as you are putting on your robe in the labor and delivery room that you will want a private room for recovery. First come first served. Friends have said they had no problem getting a private room though. I hope that's the case!

[Anonymous]

I'm the 14:15 poster and I did have a private room. When you check into the hospital tell them you want one and they'll have you sign the form that says it's $100 per night not covered by insurance and that you'll be personally responsible for paying it.

I second the post about sending the baby to the nursery at night. I sent mine the first night because all of my friends and family told me to take advantage of getting some sleep to recover. I told the nurses I was breastfeeding and when the baby woke up to bring her in -- that it didn't matter how soon it was. Well, they decided they didn't want to wake me and tried giving the baby a pacifier (which she didn't take and still doesn't like) and tried to keep her for an extra 1/2 hour. By the time I got her she was so hysterical that it was really hard to calm her down. It would have been much easier for me (and less traumatic for her) to keep her with me and feed her as soon as she woke up. The next night I kept her with me.

[Anonymous]

I, too, was nervous about the hospital experience and investigated options other than Fairfax. I am happy to say that I had an incredible experience and can not imagine a more caring and skilled group of people to take care of me.

[Anonymous]

Living in Northern Virginia, I go to GWU. I didn't have good experiences (other health conditions, not pregnancy) at INOVA.

[Anonymous]

I just delivered at Ffx 4 weeks ago and had a great experience. There was one annoying nurse in triage (not bad she just annoyed me). We did get a private room, my OB said he doesn't know why the scare people about not getting one, he says his patients that want one always get it. Once there I had fantastic nurses, only 1 was less than stellar. I also sent the baby to the nursery at night and they brought her to me when she woke up hungry or every 3 hours. My only complaint was that it took a long time to see a lactation consultant for help bf-ing

[Anonymous]

I delivered by c-section on Aug. 18th. Overall, I was disappointed by my care at Inova Fairfax. I am thrilled to be a new mom and was on a baby high of happiness in the first 2 weeks, so some of these things just rolled off of me at the time. But with time and reflection on what happened, I am sad that I had to suffer some frustrations and pain that was completely avoidable.

I recommend going in to this hospital PREPARED to be your own best advocate. Do NOT think that they will just "take care of you" there. Not to scare you, but you and you partner have to be pro-active to get good care. ASK QUESTIONS AND BE ASSERTIVE. I have summarized in extensive detail what I went through, just to help others.

The best thing is hands down the lactation specialists. Marsha & Margaret are amazing, as is Karen, the nurse who does the breastfeeding support group (I also recommend that). They were so supportive and helpful, which is how I thought the nurses would be, but sadly most weren't. The lactation specialists were my guardian angels.

Here’s my experience---so you can learn from me and protect yourself:

1. Bring something to do in triage. I wasn't in labor, but had pre-eclampsia and came straight from a doctor's appt. so I was unprepared to be admitted. No magazines, no t.v., only a phone that people cannot call you on. I waited in that tiny room for 8 hours like that (my husband came the last 2). Cell phone didn’t work in triage and no long distance, so my husband bought a calling card from the gift shop so I could call my mom.

2. The older triage nurse was sweet but somehow made me bleed horribly from my i.v. She wiped off my arm, but there was a pool of blood on the bed that she didn’t do anything about. When my doctor came to check on me, she was surprised and got a sheet to cover it up so it "didn't look like a Chuckie movie."

3. There isn't much communication from the c-section room to the upper floors. I told them 3 times I wanted a private room, and when we got wheeled up afterwards I could tell they were taking me to a shared room. They had to scramble to get a private room ready at 8pm, which was so hot because it wasn't air-conditioned right. We then asked for a fan (cause I was sweating so badly) that took hours to arrive

4. The c-section itself was great, as was the anesthesiologist. No complaints from the actual care there, thank goodness! That’s the most important part.

5. The first night nurse didn't follow what the anesthesiologist said. He said I could have zofran after my surgery for nausea, she said I couldn't for some reason. I literally was throwing up in my bed after giving birth! Two different jags. She at first only gave me one of those little kidney shaped bowls to vomit in, which of course overflowed on me. Not pleasant and I was very annoyed that I should have to feel that way until she got me some nausea meds eventually. At least it was only water from the i.v.

6. Ask about your pain meds and allowed dosages FIRST THING. I was taking half doses, but at shift changes many nurses assumed I was on the full dose so would tell me to wait when I could have had meds. Ask about this early on. I found out on the 3rd day after a good nurse (Arlene) explained it to me.

7. The husband chair that turns into a bed was broken, and the
new one they brought us was uncomfortable. My husband ended up seeping with me in the bed!

8. Some nurses were great (Arlene, Hamdi, Allison), others not. I thought the assistants were great (Cecilia), generally. Sorry the great ones get the bad rap from the bad ones.

9. Let your partner fill out and approve the birth certificate forms. The Birth certificate woman was HORRIBLE. After filllling out the simple form once, she made stupid mistakes (typed that my middle name and last name were the same, like Amy Jones Jones. Duh!). She made more mistakes the second time. She eventually sent a wrong copy to the state, saying my husband's birth state was the same as mine, which we now have to pay to fix. THE FORM IS VERY SIMPLE, I don't understand how she could possibly have made so many mistakes on it.

10. Keep good track of your baby’s diapers, etc., on the clipboard they give you. Don’t assume the nurses are keeping track of your baby’s diapers, etc., because we had to ask when our baby hadn’t had many wet diapers on the 3rd day. By the morning of the 4th day, the staff doc was very abrupt in telling us that she wasn’t eating enough, lost a little more than 10% of her birth weight, and we needed to supplement or she would have to get an i.v. It was completely demoralizing after all the breastfeeding I had done and being told by the lactation specialists that I was doing a good job. In the end, Marsha (lactation specialist) was our savior by working with the doctor and nurse to allow us to supplement every other time at the breast only 15 ml, rather than the 30 ml the doctor prescribed each time (which even I knew would have been way too much for my daughter). Without Marsha there advocating for me, I don’t know what I would have done. She was absolutely right about our situation—my milk was about to come in and we just needed a little time. By the fifth day, when we went home, my milk was in and no more formula. My baby regained her birth weight one week after being born and only 3 days after the scare. I can’t believe how abrupt a pediatrician (and nurse) could be about this situation and not supportive at all, considering my lack of sleep and emotional state at that point.

The nurse supervisors are nice and do want to hear about your care. I was honest and they refunded me one day’s private room fee. If I knew then (my husband, too) what I knew now, I would have been more assertive about my care instead of just trusting the nurses so much.

Good luck and God bless. The most important thing is a healthy baby, of course, but I wouldn’t necessarily choose this hospital again. Or if I did, I would be much more aggressive in making sure that I got the care

[Anonymous]

I delivered at Fairfax INOVA in July and I thought it was just ok. The delivery rooms were nice and the nurses were excellent in the delivery room. I had a private room (highly recommend), but the nurses on the floor were NOT the greatest. It took a long time for them to bring pain meds and bring supplies to my room. Also, the food at the hospital was horrible and always late, so make sure to bring your own food or have someone run out and grab you snacks.