Experiences with Physicians & Midwives (or large practices) and INOVA Alexandria

[Anonymous]

I'm in my first trimester of pregnancy as a FTM and currently with Physicians and Midwives. They have an office that is very convenient to my job and my home and make scheduling and getting lab results pretty easy through their online portal. However, they are a pretty large practice with over 15 delivering staff between midwives and ObGyns. They encourage you to rotate through the different staff so you can meet as many as possible. But part of me wonders if something gets lost in this setup. It would be nice to get to know a few practitioners well versus many superficially. The other thing is INOVA Alexandria and their baby-friendly designation as well as their higher C-section rate (which I assume might be lower with this practice but I'm not sure), both of which I'm not too excited about. However, even though I'm pretty midway from VHC, Inova Alexandria, and Inova Fairfax in no traffic, Alexandria is the one that never goes over being 25 minutes away despite traffic which I imagine is also equally important.

I say all that to ask, how did you find the experience working with this practice throughout the pregnancy to postpartum period (or other similarly large practices)? Any cons that would lead you to suggest looking for a smaller practice? And if so, any specific suggestions on practices? How was your experience with Inova Alexandria? Was the baby-friendly arrangement so terrible?

Any answers to any of these questions would be appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm in my first trimester of pregnancy as a FTM and currently with Physicians and Midwives. They have an office that is very convenient to my job and my home and make scheduling and getting lab results pretty easy through their online portal. However, they are a pretty large practice with over 15 delivering staff between midwives and ObGyns. They encourage you to rotate through the different staff so you can meet as many as possible. But part of me wonders if something gets lost in this setup. It would be nice to get to know a few practitioners well versus many superficially. The other thing is INOVA Alexandria and their baby-friendly designation as well as their higher C-section rate (which I assume might be lower with this practice but I'm not sure), both of which I'm not too excited about. However, even though I'm pretty midway from VHC, Inova Alexandria, and Inova Fairfax in no traffic, Alexandria is the one that never goes over being 25 minutes away despite traffic which I imagine is also equally important.

I say all that to ask, how did you find the experience working with this practice throughout the pregnancy to postpartum period (or other similarly large practices)? Any cons that would lead you to suggest looking for a smaller practice? And if so, any specific suggestions on practices? How was your experience with Inova Alexandria? Was the baby-friendly arrangement so terrible?

Any answers to any of these questions would be appreciated.

I have been with P&M for 5 years and am having my 2nd pregnancy with them. There are advantages to being with a larger practice. You can hop onto the patient portal and find a midwife or doctor SAME DAY and not have to call for an appointment. That's unheard of in a smaller practice. Another great thing is they have a sonographer on site so you can be seen immediately or see your doctor/MW as soon as that appointment is over and you don't have to pay two co-pays. They also have a lab on site so you can get blood work immediately. The phlebotomists are so nice too.

If you want to see a few midwives/doctors, you can. You can't go wrong with any of them, they're all soo wonderful. I struggle to recommend my favorite! I made the rounds with them last time but this time I'm seeing who is available with my schedule. Whitney, Elyse and Dr. Ahdoot (his wife Dr. Ahdoot is another favorite at Pediatrics of Alexandria) are incredible, but I don't have much experience with the other doctors. My appointment with Dr. Ahdoot (made same day) was at 3:00 and he walked in at 2:59. I actually teased him for it. That's UNHEARD OF. I have never had to wait for my appointment.

If you are also close to Inova Fairfax, the facility is much newer and nicer than Alex. But I don't know any practices that work out of that one. I don't care for the baby-friendly designation, I wanted to get some sleep but the nurses will take your baby if you ask. The delivery rooms at Alex are huge and nice, the recovery room is really small. Go for a tour of both hospitals and see how you feel. I'm much closer to Alex though and wanted the convenience of going somewhere close to home so that's why I'll stay with them.

But overall, I can't say enough nice things about P&M. My only complaint is the Kenmore office can be annoying to park in and get upstairs, but they have parking attendants now and the elevators have only been out one time this pregnancy (I'm 20 weeks).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in my first trimester of pregnancy as a FTM and currently with Physicians and Midwives. They have an office that is very convenient to my job and my home and make scheduling and getting lab results pretty easy through their online portal. However, they are a pretty large practice with over 15 delivering staff between midwives and ObGyns. They encourage you to rotate through the different staff so you can meet as many as possible. But part of me wonders if something gets lost in this setup. It would be nice to get to know a few practitioners well versus many superficially. The other thing is INOVA Alexandria and their baby-friendly designation as well as their higher C-section rate (which I assume might be lower with this practice but I'm not sure), both of which I'm not too excited about. However, even though I'm pretty midway from VHC, Inova Alexandria, and Inova Fairfax in no traffic, Alexandria is the one that never goes over being 25 minutes away despite traffic which I imagine is also equally important.

I say all that to ask, how did you find the experience working with this practice throughout the pregnancy to postpartum period (or other similarly large practices)? Any cons that would lead you to suggest looking for a smaller practice? And if so, any specific suggestions on practices? How was your experience with Inova Alexandria? Was the baby-friendly arrangement so terrible?

Any answers to any of these questions would be appreciated.

I have been with P&M for 5 years and am having my 2nd pregnancy with them. There are advantages to being with a larger practice. You can hop onto the patient portal and find a midwife or doctor SAME DAY and not have to call for an appointment. That's unheard of in a smaller practice. Another great thing is they have a sonographer on site so you can be seen immediately or see your doctor/MW as soon as that appointment is over and you don't have to pay two co-pays. They also have a lab on site so you can get blood work immediately. The phlebotomists are so nice too.

If you want to see a few midwives/doctors, you can. You can't go wrong with any of them, they're all soo wonderful. I struggle to recommend my favorite! I made the rounds with them last time but this time I'm seeing who is available with my schedule. Whitney, Elyse and Dr. Ahdoot (his wife Dr. Ahdoot is another favorite at Pediatrics of Alexandria) are incredible, but I don't have much experience with the other doctors. My appointment with Dr. Ahdoot (made same day) was at 3:00 and he walked in at 2:59. I actually teased him for it. That's UNHEARD OF. I have never had to wait for my appointment.

If you are also close to Inova Fairfax, the facility is much newer and nicer than Alex. But I don't know any practices that work out of that one. I don't care for the baby-friendly designation, I wanted to get some sleep but the nurses will take your baby if you ask. The delivery rooms at Alex are huge and nice, the recovery room is really small. Go for a tour of both hospitals and see how you feel. I'm much closer to Alex though and wanted the convenience of going somewhere close to home so that's why I'll stay with them.

But overall, I can't say enough nice things about P&M. My only complaint is the Kenmore office can be annoying to park in and get upstairs, but they have parking attendants now and the elevators have only been out one time this pregnancy (I'm 20 weeks).

If you join some of the local mom groups on Facebook and do a search, there seems to be a post every other week about this practice and other ones. There was one today (maybe that was you though).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm in my first trimester of pregnancy as a FTM and currently with Physicians and Midwives. They have an office that is very convenient to my job and my home and make scheduling and getting lab results pretty easy through their online portal. However, they are a pretty large practice with over 15 delivering staff between midwives and ObGyns. They encourage you to rotate through the different staff so you can meet as many as possible. But part of me wonders if something gets lost in this setup. It would be nice to get to know a few practitioners well versus many superficially. The other thing is INOVA Alexandria and their baby-friendly designation as well as their higher C-section rate (which I assume might be lower with this practice but I'm not sure), both of which I'm not too excited about. However, even though I'm pretty midway from VHC, Inova Alexandria, and Inova Fairfax in no traffic, Alexandria is the one that never goes over being 25 minutes away despite traffic which I imagine is also equally important.

I say all that to ask, how did you find the experience working with this practice throughout the pregnancy to postpartum period (or other similarly large practices)? Any cons that would lead you to suggest looking for a smaller practice? And if so, any specific suggestions on practices? How was your experience with Inova Alexandria? Was the baby-friendly arrangement so terrible?

Any answers to any of these questions would be appreciated.

I have been with P&M for 5 years and am having my 2nd pregnancy with them. There are advantages to being with a larger practice. You can hop onto the patient portal and find a midwife or doctor SAME DAY and not have to call for an appointment. That's unheard of in a smaller practice. Another great thing is they have a sonographer on site so you can be seen immediately or see your doctor/MW as soon as that appointment is over and you don't have to pay two co-pays. They also have a lab on site so you can get blood work immediately. The phlebotomists are so nice too.

If you want to see a few midwives/doctors, you can. You can't go wrong with any of them, they're all soo wonderful. I struggle to recommend my favorite! I made the rounds with them last time but this time I'm seeing who is available with my schedule. Whitney, Elyse and Dr. Ahdoot (his wife Dr. Ahdoot is another favorite at Pediatrics of Alexandria) are incredible, but I don't have much experience with the other doctors. My appointment with Dr. Ahdoot (made same day) was at 3:00 and he walked in at 2:59. I actually teased him for it. That's UNHEARD OF. I have never had to wait for my appointment.

If you are also close to Inova Fairfax, the facility is much newer and nicer than Alex. But I don't know any practices that work out of that one. I don't care for the baby-friendly designation, I wanted to get some sleep but the nurses will take your baby if you ask. The delivery rooms at Alex are huge and nice, the recovery room is really small. Go for a tour of both hospitals and see how you feel. I'm much closer to Alex though and wanted the convenience of going somewhere close to home so that's why I'll stay with them.

But overall, I can't say enough nice things about P&M. My only complaint is the Kenmore office can be annoying to park in and get upstairs, but they have parking attendants now and the elevators have only been out one time this pregnancy (I'm 20 weeks).

Thanks for the information! It's good to know that you've liked them enough to stick with them for a second baby. Inova Alexandria and Fairfax are pretty equidistant from me but the difference is during times of traffic. Also, most of the practices for Fairfax would be much further for me versus P&M which is less than 10 minutes from my house and 5 minutes from my job. Sounds like you've had a great experience.

As a random aside, did you get any ultrasounds after 20 weeks with them? They mention only viability, 12 week, and 20 week US. And do you actually get good quality pics from any of the ultrasounds? They told me that the ultrasound machine at the Kingstowne location isn't the best quality and I think my first ultrasound pic reflected that. I'm wondering if some of the other offices have better machines and if they have 3d/4d for later in pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

If you join some of the local mom groups on Facebook and do a search, there seems to be a post every other week about this practice and other ones. There was one today (maybe that was you though).

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not a member of those groups. Can you share some names for me to search please? Thanks.

[Anonymous]

I have had both of my children with P&M and am going there for my third (right now). I like how convenient it is to my house (closest office is 5 minutes away) and INOVA Alexandria is only 25 minutes without traffic. I have had a good experience with all of the doctors that I met with and didn't care that I didn't have "one" doctor who would deliver my kids. With my first I was induced and in the hospital for 35 hours. I went through like 3 doctors/midwives during that time. Didn't even think twice about it.

For my subsequent deliveries it was nice to be relatively close to the hospital for my husband since he was going back and forth to check on our older child. If we were over an hour away one way that would have been a lot of driving for him.

Regarding the ultrasounds - I had a dating ultrasound, 12 week ultrasound and 20 week anatomy scan. I had one extra one at 35 weeks but that was only due to large gestational age (I had over 9lb children). I don't know if they had 3D or 4D machines. I never asked.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

If you join some of the local mom groups on Facebook and do a search, there seems to be a post every other week about this practice and other ones. There was one today (maybe that was you though).

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm not a member of those groups. Can you share some names for me to search please? Thanks.

I don't think they have 3d/4d scans. I did my sonograms at the kenmore office. They don't print photos now, they text you pictures. I am unfortunately also seeing the MFM at Inova Alex and they do prints. The machine seems to be slightly better than the one at P&M so I don't imagine that any doctors office would be much better than the one at the hospital. You can always go to a 3d scan that you pay for. They're pretty cool. Because I'm with the MFM practice, I did my 18 week anatomy scan with them and I'll get a heart echo done at 24 weeks (protocol). I don't think it's standard to do any sonograms after 20 weeks unless there is a problem.

There's Old Town Moms Group but it sucks, a lot of sales. There is a Yahoo group I don't follow anymore with the same name or very similar. It's very active. The one with a post from today and every week or two is New Moms Group Alexandria. It's very active.

[Anonymous]

I had a baby with them in 2018. Great experience overall. We're planning a second and I plan on going back there.

I like that the phlebotomists/lab folks are on site and they are really experienced and make the experience pretty painless.

They are very organized with things like insurance and coordinating lab results with outside labs for more complicated tests and with things like getting your FMLA paperwork taken care of correctly and on time.

I actually liked going to Inova Alexandria which is a lot smaller and less hectic than Inova Fairfax.

[Anonymous]

PP here again. I actually had late ultrasounds with them because of small fundal height (baby was fine and regular size).

[Anonymous]

I also had my last baby with P&M, and am pregnant again with my third and using them again.

I echo what others have said - a larger practice is MUCH better for actually getting appointments, and I find them to be prompt and efficient. I know they encourage you to see several different people so you might know your doctor at the hospital, but if you want you can just see the same practitioner throughout your pregnancy (that's what I'm doing), knowing you are unlikely to see them on the big day.

Regarding Inova Alexandria, I vastly prefer a smaller hospital (and I had my first elsewhere, so I have a comparison) and I really like and prefer the baby friendly designation. If you actively WANT them to take the baby, give you formula, etc, they will, no question, but it's nice that the default is that all the tests/checks on the baby are done in the room rather than shuttling baby all over the place. Also helpful lactation consultants that come to your room are great.

And finally, with regard to ultrasounds, I've always had several later ultrasounds. An OB at P&M however directly told me that "anytime I wanted an ultrasound" I could come in and get one, as far as she was concerned. My insurance just charges some kind of flat fee, and she said they are happy to give me as many ultrasounds as I'd like for peace of mind (I've had a somewhat late miscarriage before). So, if you want more ultrasounds, just ask!

[Anonymous]

2nd the recommendation for Dr. Ahdoot if you have a planned c-section (you have to go with whomever is on call otherwise). He is AWESOME. I’ve had really good experiences over many years at the practice overall - and Dr. Giammatorio who started it literally delivered me 32 years ago so I always think that is awesome.

[Anonymous]

Thanks everyone! It's good to hear that you all are happy with the practice. Thanks for the information and tips. This makes me feel better about sticking with the practice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:2nd the recommendation for Dr. Ahdoot if you have a planned c-section (you have to go with whomever is on call otherwise). He is AWESOME. I’ve had really good experiences over many years at the practice overall - and Dr. Giammatorio who started it literally delivered me 32 years ago so I always think that is awesome.

Dr. G only works as a gynecologist.

[Anonymous]

I had my baby with them last year. I had been a gyn patient for years but also wondered if I should stay when I got pregnant and I did and it all worked out well. Inova Alexandria is not glamorous but I felt well taken care of. I really liked the ability to easily schedule appointments with providers and I really liked their nurse line for questions. They are located very conveniently for me as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:2nd the recommendation for Dr. Ahdoot if you have a planned c-section (you have to go with whomever is on call otherwise). He is AWESOME. I’ve had really good experiences over many years at the practice overall - and Dr. Giammatorio who started it literally delivered me 32 years ago so I always think that is awesome.

Dr. G only works as a gynecologist.

Now he does, sure, but I was born in 1987 when he was obviously a full-blown OBGYN.. I was just relating that I think it’s cool. I don’t see him personally; I see Dr. Ahdoot whenever I can.