Birthing at Inova Fairfax

Summary

Inova Fairfax Women’s Hospital is one of the busiest labor and deliveries in Northern Virginia. The Hospital Birth Center is staffed 24-7 with highly skilled doctors, midwives, nurses, pediatricians, and neonatologists. They support medicated and unmedicated births, high risk pregnancies and deliveries, and vaginal multiples. Delayed cord clamping, delay /decline of newborn procedures, and placenta removal are all supported.  Doulas are welcome at Inova Fairfax.

Inova Fairfax has a level IV NICU, staffed 24/7 with neonatologists, pediatricians, and highly skilled NICU nurses. Their website says “Inova Children’s Hospital is home to the largest, most comprehensive subspecialty neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in the region.”

The hospital provide many prenatal classes on childbirth, breastfeeding, and infant care.  They also support your choice in feeding methods and provide guidance and help for both bottle and breastfeeding.

With a range of amenities and services at Inova Fairfax for both labor & delivery, and postpartum, you are sure to have a safe and comfortable birth experience.

Location & Hours

Inova Fairfax Medical Campus is located at 3300 Gallows RoadFalls Church, VA 22042-3300. Their main number is 703-776-4001. Click here for a link to the campus map.

Parking: Labor & Delivery is located on the third floor in the Inova Woman’s Hospital. If you are in labor you can be dropped off at the entrance. Parking for the building is in the GREEN parking garage off Woodburn Rd and Wellness Blvd. Parking fees are $5 a day. Long term parking pass can be obtained from the parking cashier or the lobby gift shops. There is also valet parking available and a shuttle bus that picks up and drops off around the campus.  

After hours enter through the Emergency Room

Visiting hours: 9pm-9pm; Children under the age of 12 are not permitted to visit unless they are a sibling of the newborn and ONLY if they are healthy. Patients can have up to 5 visitors at a time (including partner/support person). A doula is NOT considered a visitor. 

Food

There are many dining options at Inova Fairfax.

The closest food options to Labor & Delivery is Starbucks, located in the ground floor lobby of the Woman’s Hospital. This Starbucks offers a full service coffee bar, sandwiches and other light fare.

Service Times:

  • Monday through Friday
    6 a.m. – 5 p.m. AND 10 p.m. – 6 a.m.
  • Saturday and Sunday
    10 p.m. – 6 a.m

Panera Bread is located in the lobby of the Children’s Hospital. Panera Bread serves a variety of dishes such as pasta, sandwiches and soups.

Service Times:

  • Sunday through Saturday
    6 a.m. – 11:59 p.m.
  • Closed Christmas Day

 Vending Machines

Additional soda, juice and snack food vending machines are located throughout the hospital. Main locations are in the Emergency Room, just off the Inova Children’s Hospital/Inova Women’s Hospital lobby and the Inova Fairfax Hospital Surgery Center lobby.

Guest Meal Trays

Meal trays are available for visitors who wish to eat in the patient’s room. Visitors must request a guest tray through the unit nurse. Once approved, the order will be taken along with the patient’s order in the room.

Gift Shops have assorted snack foods.

Other food options include:

South Side Cafe

Located in the South Patient Tower on the 1st floor. South Side Café offers a variety of food options including sandwiches, soups, burgers, pizza, a salad bar and other fare.

Service Times:

  • Open daily, 5:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Healthy Heart Cafe

Located in Inova Heart and Vascular Institute on the 2nd floor above the Heart & Vascular lobby, the café offers a variety of healthy food options including soups, sandwiches, a salad bar and other fare.

Service Times:

  • Open Monday through Friday, 5:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.

Park Avenue Cafe

Located on the first floor of the atrium, Park Avenue Café offers a wide variety of breakfast and lunch foods.

Service Times:

  • Monday through Friday
    6:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Saturday
    9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
  • Closed Sunday

Amenities & Features for Birth/Postpartum

Private labor & delivery rooms 
Peanut balls

Squat Bars Upon Request
Telemetry Monitors Upon Request 
Private postpartum rooms with shower, sleep chair for partner, adjustable temperature
Free Wifi
A nursery is available but rooming in is encouraged
Lactation Services are available pre-natally, during your hospital stay, and after you are discharged. There is a free breastfeeding support group on Thursdays from 10-AA These include classes, in-room visits, and support during your stay in the NICU. Breast pumps are available for rent in the women’s boutique.

Other Information

Placenta Removal– You are permitted to take your placenta home no matter if you have a vaginal or cesarean birth. Make sure to let your doctors and nurses know as soon as you get to the hospital, and you’ll have to fill out a short form. After delivery your partner or doula can take it home.
Level IV NICU
Mom, partner, and baby have matching ID bracelets for security
Typical Discharge– Vaginal delivery 2 nights; Cesarean– 3 nights.
Large selection of pre-natal and postpartum classes and support groups

Key Statistics

To learn more about Fairfax Inova and information on c-section & episiotomy rates, occupancy and much more visit

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