Women's Center
703-750-8832
It all starts with our special touch.
For more than 130 years, moms and their new babies have had a soft spot for our special touch. Perhaps it's because we care for each patient as an individual with unique needs, while highly advanced technology and expertise are at our fingertips. Our services, programs and classes are designed to make your birthing experience one of the most memorable and enjoyable events in your life.
You’ll benefit from the care provided by our highly skilled and seasoned team of board-certified private practice obstetricians, nurse-midwives, perinatologists, neonatologists, anesthesiologists and nurses, as well as our state-of-the-art technology. That’s why each year, thousands of women in our community choose to give birth at our hospital.
- Preparing for Pregnancy
- Education and Support
- Personal Birthing Plans
- Labor, Delivery and Recovery in Comfortable Rooms
- Breastfeeding or Bottle Feeding
- Infertility
- Brock Family Perinatal Diagnostic Center
- Genetic Counseling and Comprehensive Diagnostic Testing
- High-Risk Pregnancies
- Neonatal Intensive Care
Preparing for Pregnancy
If you’re
thinking about having a baby, it is important to plan ahead and take care of
yourself before becoming pregnant.
- See your doctor for a pre-pregnancy checkup. Click here to search for a doctor, or call Inova Physician Referral at 703-204-3373.
- Take a daily prenatal vitamin that includes 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid to help reduce the risk of birth defects.
- Start healthy habits: Eat nutritious foods, exercise regularly, maintain a proper weight and don’t smoke or drink alcohol.
- Attend Inova HealthSource’s “Thinking of Having a Baby” class. Click here to search for a class and register online, or call Inova HealthSource at 703-204-3373.
Education and Support
Inova
HealthSource offers a variety of classes and support groups to help you prepare
for your pregnancy, your baby’s birth and your new life afterward. Topics
include:
| Thinking of Having a Baby | Expectant Parent Class |
| Lamaze® Childbirth Preparation | Baby Care |
| Sibling Preparation Class | New Mom’s Group |
| Breastfeeding | Infant CPR |
| Infant Massage | Fitness for Baby and Me |
| Yoga for Mom and Baby |
Click here to search for one of these classes and to register online, or call Inova HealthSource at 703-204-3373.
We understand that the birthing experience is different for every woman. That’s why we will help you tailor your birth plan. You may want to consider such matters as whether the Lamaze® method of natural childbirth is right for you and whether you want your children present for the delivery. Whatever your wishes, our obstetricians, nurse-midwives and nurses will help you make them come true.
Our Preparing for Birth at Inova Alexandria Hospital guide provides additional information about how to prepare for your visit to the hospital for delivery, including a checklist of what to bring, how to apply for birth certificates and social security cards, and other information on the support services we offer.
Labor, Delivery and Recovery in Comfortable Rooms
At Inova Alexandria Hospital Women’s Center, women labor, deliver and recover in a homelike suite in the care of highly skilled nurses who specialize in the birthing experience. Relaxing familiar surroundings ease the birthing process and our birthing suites combine soft, soothing colors, subdued lighting and comfortable furnishings with the state-of-the-art equipment you would expect should the need arise. Your bathroom, complete with a sit-down shower, will add to your comfort. Hidden within the cabinetry and behind decorator drapes are everything our experienced nursing staff might need to meet your family’s needs.
Our compassionate, highly trained nursing staff will provide the special care you and your family need during this wonderful time. We encourage you to share your experience with your family and invite you to bring grandparents and siblings to witness the birth if you wish.
After birth and recovery, mom and baby retreat to a room in our Mother/Baby Unit. Each room features a bath and a chairbed for dad or a support person to comfortably spend the night. You and your family will enjoy our liberal family visitation policy so everyone can get to know the newest family member, a modern cafeteria, data ports for Internet access and free parking.
Your care will be provided by a staff of RNs, LPNs and clinical assistants. If you choose “rooming in,” it is comforting to know the nursery is available should you want to nap or take a shower. Coordinated mother-baby care minimizes separating you from your newborn. It also enables us to better answer your questions and offer suggestions to prepare you for your parenting role. Our staff is experienced in both postpartum and newborn care and provides this care for you and your baby as a couplet.
Our patients’ safety and security is very important to us. We have a special newborn protection system in place that we will review with you after admission to your unit. You will receive full instruction as to how we secure the safety of your newborn baby.
We strive to offer support to all cultures and ethnic groups. Our knowledge and skills regarding cultural diversity strengthens and broadens our ability to care for you. The goal is to optimize your care by acknowledging specific cultural factors and differences, and providing support to you and your family.
Breastfeeding or Bottle Feeding?
Whether you decide to breastfeed or bottle feed your new baby, we are here to assist you with your choice. Our board-certified lactation consultants offer individual and group support including a daily breastfeeding support group on the Mother-Baby unit, as well as a weekly support group after you go home. Our consultants offer expert advice on how to smoothly transition back to work if you wish to continue breastfeeding. In our Lactation Center women’s store, which is conveniently located on the Mother-Baby unit, you may purchase or rent hospital-grade electric breastpumps. Also available are a variety of supplies that support the breasfeeding mother and baby such as nursing bras, footstools, pillow and many other items. rentals. The Lactation Center store is open to our patients as well as the public.
If you are under the age of 35 and have been trying to conceive for more than one year, or over the age of 35 and have been trying to conceive for more than six months, infertility specialists on our medical staff are available to you and your physician. Click here to search for a doctor, or call Inova Physician Referral at 703-204-3373.
Brock Family Perinatal Diagnostic Center
The Brock Family Perinatal Diagnostic Center (PDC) provides specialized care for pregnancies that are at risk for maternal, fetal or obstetric complications. Our maternal-fetal medicine specialists, known as perinatologists, along with our staff of expert perinatal nurses, assist obstetricians or nurse-midwives by offering specialized services and compassionate care to mothers and their unborn babies, from pre-pregnancy counseling through delivery. The center uses state-of-the-art technology in a comfortable and private setting to assist prospective parents seeking genetic counseling and/or genetic testing, pregnant women who need comprehensive diagnostic tests to determine the health of their babies, and women whose pregnancies are considered high risk including:
- high-risk obstetric consultations
- Level II obstetric ultrasound
- genetic counseling/pre-pregnancy
- counseling
- genetic amniocentesis
- prenatal diagnostic procedures
- antepartum testing
- nonstress testing
- biophysical profile
- high-risk inpatient consultations
- in-utero fetal procedures
- fetal blood sampling
- fetal tranfusion
For more information about the Brock Family Perinatal Diagnostic Center, call 703-504-7868.
PDC Mural Fundraizing Information (PDF)
Genetic Counseling and Comprehensive Diagnostic Testing
Even before becoming pregnant, prospective parents can be
referred to the Perinatal Diagnostic Center to discuss the implications of age,
complications in previous pregnancies or current health problems. Patients with
a family history of genetic complications can discuss personalized prenatal
options, and diagnostic procedures, and receive specialized support throughout
their pregnancies.
Unexpected complications can occur during pregnancy that require additional diagnostic procedures. These tests can evaluate the health of both mother and baby even during the first trimester. The Perinatal Diagnostic Center offers the most recent approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of obstetrical problems.
Many women have pregnancies that are considered high risk because of a pre-existing condition such as diabetes or hypertension. Older mothers and women with multiple pregnancies are also considered high risk. Your obstetrician-gynecologist may decide that a consultation with a perinatologist is necessary. The perinatologist provides care or consultation for both mother and unborn baby in a complicated pregnancy and establishes a plan for optimal management of these pregnancies. The staff at the Perinatal Diagnostic Center works with high-risk mothers and their primary obstetrician or nurse-midwife to monitor the health of both mother and baby. The staff ’s goal is to keep risk levels as low as possible and work toward the birth of a healthy baby.
Most women have uncomplicated pregnancies and deliveries, yet it’s comforting to know we offer a fully staffed level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) that features the latest technology. Newborns who are premature or have special needs are well cared for around the-clock in our family-centered NICU by specially trained board-certified newborn physicians, known as neonatologists, as well as specialized nurses, respiratory therapists, physical therapists and nutritionists.
Your baby’s team of caregivers understands the wide range of emotions you may feel at this trying time. They will explain procedures, equipment and the special care and needs of high risk or premature infants. Before your baby goes home, you will be given complete instructions on home care. You also may spend the night in the special parenting room where you will be supported by the NICU staff while you provide care for your baby. We are always close by to answer your questions and provide help if you need it.
Take a virtual tour of our maternity areas. To schedule a walking tour of the facility, call Inova HealthSource at 703-204-3373.
