The Place to Deliver
Expectant moms have multiple options in the greater Washington, DC area, and a growing number are choosing to deliver their babies at Virginia Hospital Center. In addition to its experienced staff providing advanced care—including 24/7, in-house anesthesia coverage and neonatal services—Women & Infant Health at Virginia Hospital Center offers all the comforts of home. Amenities include all private patient rooms, a NICU with private suites (so parents can spend the night) and "stork" parking immediately in front of the building. We're closer than you think.
Patient comfort and stress relief are primary goals in every aspect of clinical and bedside care. During delivery, epidurals are patient-controlled, with push buttons to activate pain medication. Following delivery, all new moms receive next-day visits from lactation consultants offering guidance with breastfeeding. "There is a very personal feeling here," says OB/GYN Jane E. Piness, MD, who has delivered babies exclusively at Virginia Hospital Center since 1990.
Alexandria resident Kimberly Collins, whose first baby, Gannon, was delivered by Dr. Piness in August, agrees. "I describe my labor more as a slumber party than a birth," she says. "I felt like I was in my own house, in my own bed, with my girlfriends over. My mom, a lifelong nurse who now teaches nursing, commented that this was one of the nicest facilities she'd ever seen with the most educated, caring staff. I had an uncomplicated delivery, but still was treated like I was their number one patient."
"The closely-knit staff at Virginia Hospital Center work extremely well together to coordinate care for our high-risk pregnancies," says Dr. Piness. Such was the case for Lisa Riordan, who has mysasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that causes muscle weakness and carries the risk of being temporarily transferred to a newborn. The October birth of her daughter, Tess, necessitated a planned C-section.
"I couldn't have certain types of anesthesia because they might exacerbate muscle weakness, delay my recovery, or cause breathing troubles, so everything had to be planned out," says the Arlington resident. "Dr. Piness arranged for me to meet with the anesthesiologist and neonatologist ahead of time. Tess was in the NICU afterward for observation and the doctors were great. Meeting with everyone ahead of time gave us huge comfort…just knowing they were ready for her."