An honest review of my Fair Oaks INOVA Delivery Experience. I talk about my labor, delivery, and postpartum experience in November 2024.
Before I ever stepped foot into Fair Oaks INOVA, I had already heard amazing things. Everyone from my pelvic floor physical therapist and chiropractor to my OB and doula agreed—it’s one of the most unmedicated and natural-birth-friendly hospitals in the DMV area. While it doesn’t have the highest-tier NICU (which isn’t a concern for the majority of pregnancies), I felt reassured it was the right place for me.
That confidence only grew when I visited for a decreased fetal movement scare (spoiler: everything turned out fine, more on that below) and received prompt, compassionate, and efficient care. And when it came time to deliver in November 2024, my experience was overwhelmingly positive—though not without a few rough moments. Here’s the full breakdown:
Pre-Registering for Delivery at Fair Oaks INOVA
Fair Oaks INOVA makes it super simple to pre-register your delivery through MyChart.
👉 You can do it online here: https://www.inova.org/register-my-delivery
Labor & Delivery Experience
🚗 Getting to the Hospital
- My husband was able to leave the car at the main front entrance (not the emergency/ambulance side) and walk me upstairs without issue.
⏳ Check-In Woes
Let’s get the negatives out of the way: check-in was painfully slow. I was already close to pushing, but it took nearly 30 minutes to get into triage. Despite pre-registering, they still asked for my insurance again.
One of the triage nurses was clearly inexperienced and didn’t handle my pain or situation with much compassion. She:
- Refused my doula’s kind offer to assist with the fetal monitor (even though my doula had done so at the same hospital before).
- Insisted I lay down (which worsened my back labor) just so she could get the monitor on.
- Interrupted me mid-pushing to ask food insecurity and abuse screening questions—and didn’t allow my husband to help answer.
- Made diminishing, poorly timed jokes (“It’s like calamari!” during cord cutting) that just felt… off.
It was frustrating, but it reminded me that even the most birth-friendly hospitals still have a range of staff personalities. You just can’t predict who will be on duty.
💪 The Actual Labor
Thankfully, the rest of the team was phenomenal.
- No unnecessary cervical checks. I only had one at triage.
- They respected my birth plan, with nurses actively reading and helping create a calm, low-light environment.
- I was encouraged to move: used the peanut ball, tug-of-war with a sheet, squatting—everything to support an unmedicated birth.
- They offered nitrous oxide when I asked—no one pushed the epidural.
- The OB and midwife worked seamlessly together. The midwife did my stitches with hands-on coaching.
There was a moment when baby’s heart rate dropped, but they handled it with calm, measured caution—never alarming me unnecessarily.
At the end, my baby had some mucus in his lungs and had difficulty breathing initially. But the team collaborated with a NICU doctor and managed it without separating us. The nurses told us that at Fairfax INOVA, it’s likely our baby may have been whisked away because they have more stringent protocols for the NICU. I was so grateful we weren’t separated!
And a bonus surprise? The fundal massage (which I was dreading) was not bad at all. They were so gentle, it didn’t even hurt.
💬 Random Notes
- No laboring on the toilet allowed (liability rules).
- I didn’t use the shower—back labor made shifting positions too painful and I didn’t want to towel off.
- They even did a placenta “show and tell” if that’s your vibe!
Postpartum Stay: Kindness, Sleep, and Support
- Length of Stay: 2 nights for vaginal births; 5 nights for C-sections.
- Nursery Services: Yes, and I highly recommend using it! You’re paying for it with your stay—get some sleep.
- Nurses gently reminded us to order meals before the kitchen closed at 9 pm.
- I got hands-on demos for peri bottle use, ice packs, and postpartum pads.
- You must pee twice (with nurse supervision) before being cleared to use the bathroom solo—for safety.
- We were seen by a lactation consultant nurse and had ample time to rest.
- Everyone was respectful of our rest and let us sleep as much as possible.
- Birth partners should figure out a sleeping bag situation; the tiny hard bench was not comfortable.
- Rooms were private and included a bathroom and shower.
Financial Transparency
- Labor Room & Delivery – this is the charge for a vaginal birth without induction, anesthesiologist, or surgery. A C Section would raise the costs about double.
- Laboratory – includes blood tests for mom and baby, vitamin K shot, vaccines
- Medical Services – circumcision
- Newborn services – daily rate applied twice for 2 night stay, includes health checks, lactation consultant, baby nursery services
- Pharmacy – every vitamin, advil, or laxative that they give you
- Room & Board – daily rate applied twice, includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner for 2
Pre-Labor Visit for Decreased Fetal Movement
💵 Cost
💡 Experience
This visit ended up being a reassuring false alarm, but I’m so glad I went. The doctor treated me with kindness and validation—not once did I feel silly.
- They used a heart rate monitor and confirmed everything was fine.
- Because I had gestational diabetes, they also ordered a biophysical ultrasound to be extra thorough.
- I was seen quickly, the doctor explained everything clearly, and I felt safe and empowered for trusting my instincts.
Final Thoughts on Fair Oaks INOVA Delivery
Would I recommend giving birth at Fair Oaks INOVA? Absolutely. The few less-than-perfect moments were far outweighed by the respectful care, attention to my birth plan, and genuine kindness from most of the staff.
If you’re planning an unmedicated birth in Northern Virginia, Fair Oaks INOVA is a top-tier choice.
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