Special Delivery
Inova Fairfax Hospital Women's Center Offers
Top-Flight Care During and After Childbirth

Inova Fairfax Hospital Women's Center ended up being Danielle Conley's "home away from home."

"For each birth, we had the best experience," says Conley who delivered her two children, Madison and Sean, there. "Even the food is great."

One example of the hospital's caring touch was when Conley and Chris, arrived sick prior to the birth of Sean this past March. Conley had a sinus infection and husband Chris had bronchitis. "When you're exhausted and sick, it's not an ideal birth scenario!" Conley says. "But the staff was so sensitive to our needs. They gave us an available room to rest and recover, and we ended up having a good experience anyway."

The comfort women feel at the hospital and the superior
care they receive is why obstetrician/gynecologist Kathy E. Wolf, MD, chooses Inova Fairfax Hospital Women's Center for her moms-to-be and their families.

"Inova Fairfax Hospital Women's Center offers my patients awonderful labor experience with the best care available," says Dr. Wolf, a highly respected local doctor who has spent her career as a nurse, then medical student and then physician in Virginia-area hospitals. "The staff is phenomenal. The labor and delivery nurses and the anesthesiologists at Fairfax are the cream of the crop."

Women and Family-Focused Care

The Women's Center is
a comprehensive
facility that provides all
services necessary for
normal and high-risk
deliveries. It offers
direct access to Inova
Fairfax Hospital for
Children's level III
neonatal intensive care
unit (NICU). It's the
largest subspecialty
NICU in Northern
Virginia and features
emergency services
that "are the best in
the area," Dr. Wolf
says. Physicians, nurses and staff specialize in complicated pregnancies, including treating women with pre-existing conditions and those carrying multiples.

Board-certified neonatologists, neonatal nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists and lactation consultants are accessible 24 hours a day. The state-of-the-art NICU works closely with the Women's Center labor and delivery staff, says Dr. Wolf.

And the personalized care doesn't end after birth. All staff is trained to help mom and baby bond with skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding. A lactation consultant/breastfeeding expert is on-site to help mom and baby adapt. The Women's Center Lactation Store stocks equipment and supplies needed to support breastfeeding when mom returns to home and/or work. (See sidebar for more on postpartum services.)

The amenities are also hard to beat. New babies and their families receive personalized, expert care in beautifully decorated private labor and delivery rooms with great food service and perks such as Wi-Fi access.

Personalized Service

Because of their positive experience at the hospital the first time, the Conleys were more than willing to drive the 30 miles from their Haymarket home for Sean's birth. Conley was struck by the care she received when she had pain breastfeeding Sean. A night nurse informed her that Sean was tongue-tied, a condition where a tiny flap of extra skin under the tongue needs to be freed. It is easily corrected, but catching it early meant Sean did not have to be put under anesthesia when he was older.

Conley has recommended Dr. Wolf and Inova Fairfax Hospital Women's Center to her best friends. "The care was so intimate and personalized," she says. "I got to know the staff so well. I didn't feel like I was in a big hospital at all."

Bon Appétit! Danielle Conley is a self-described picky eater. When her second baby was born, the last thing she expected was to enjoy her hospital food. She and husband Chris almost ordered from outside the hospital until they saw the Women's Center's new food service menu. "We saw the healthy new menu choices and that we could order food anytime we wanted, so we gave it a try," she says. "I got an egg-white omelet with vegetables and it was delicious." It was like having hotel room service, she says. "You could order anytime and get your food within 45 minutes. It's just one of many reasons why my family had such a great experience having our children at the Women's Center."