Yesterday while I was at my OB appointment, I noticed a sign on the wall advertising the practice's new website. I keep forgetting to ask what hospital they deliver at, so when I got back to work later in the day, I logged onto their website to see if I could get my question answered through some research.
Well, apparently my OB practice only delivers at Virginia Hospital Center. Which is great, except that it's located in Arlington. According to mapping software, Centreville to Arlington should take approximately 30 minutes. However, as anyone who has ever driven from Centreville to Arlington in rush hour traffic can attest, that trip could easily end up being over an hour. That, coupled with the fact that Virginia Hospital Center does not seem to support the med-free birthing experience I'd prefer, has me second-guessing my OB choice.
If I didn't love my current OB, this would be a no-brainer. But I really think she's great, she knows what she's doing and has been wonderful so far. I just don't think I'm going to get the birth I want for myself and my baby at Virginia.
So now I'm torn between Inova Fair Oaks and Inova Loudon. Both have a Level III NICU, just in case, but Inova Loudon also has an on-site birthing center. I would love to deliver at a birthing center, and this one provides all the bells and whistles - wireless fetal monitoring, in-room labor tubs, and IVs are not routine. They even have a group of midwives who practice out of the birthing center. But, it's in Leesburg, which can still be quite a hike at rush hour. Inova Fair Oaks is much closer. And then on the other hand, I had one really bad experience with the Fair Oaks ER, and it really didn't inspire confidence.
So I don't know what to do...stay with my current OB and deliver in Arlington, go with the closest hospital that I'm not crazy about, or go with a midwife in Loudon. I'm going to try and get some more research done this week and make my decision after my next appointment.
3 comments:
For what it's worth, we had an amazing delivery experience at Fair Oaks (never dealt with the ER there, though). Nurses were great, rooms (guaranteed private or they compensate you) were very nice & big, food was yummy, and the lactation consultants were FANTASTIC. You can request a delivery room with a jet tub (although it's not a birthing tub), which was really nice to have during the early hours of labor. I also have friends who use the midwives at Loudon and love them. My OB practice (Tepeyac Family Center) in Fairfax is awesome too, if you're looking. They were very open to me going the non-med route and even encouraged me to leave the hospital a few hours after I got there so I could labor at home and be more comfortable. In the end, meds were a great route for me to take but I was glad that the decision really was up to me.
Ack! I just don't know what to do :( I know L&D is a totally different part of the hospital, but my experience in the ER was just awful...no one knew what was happening, I literally had to explain what meds I was on and what they did and potential side effects...just bad. I don't know...I'm pretty sure I'm going to be leaving my OB, but I want to do some more research on Fair Oaks vs. Loudon before I make a decision. Maybe I'll just go tour both and see which one I like better...
I have no advice, just wanted to say, "Good Luck" with the decision. Sounds like a tour and talking with the staff would really help you make your decision. (Also, having people that have given birth in both hospitals will help A LOT!)
Good Luck hun, you can do it!!!
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