D.C. Area Babies

inova hospital questions

So we had our maternity ward tour last night at Inova Alexandria, and while it was very informative and great to see our rooms, I tried asking a few questions and the nurse giving the tour didn't quite answer them.

First, what's the food situation for DH and I? She pointed the cafeteria out to us, and told us about the take-out taxi service that we can have delivered to the lobby if we don't want hospital food... but is there food that is included with our stay? Or is it just for me, since I'm the patient recovering? Does DH have to bring in all his own food? Does the cafeteria take cash only?

Second, I tried asking what type of stuff we were allowed to take with us when we leave, but she misinterpreted my question and kept saying we get a goody bag with diapers and such, and that we'll find out what's in it when we go home. I kept trying to clarify that I meant supplies like mesh undies or diapers that the hospital provides, and what we are allowed to take home, but she kept referring to our goody bag. So what exactly are we supposed to take home (like can I stock up on diapers, undies, pads, blankets, what?)

The 2nd one I can wait until I am in the hospital to clarify with the nurses, but just figured some of you that delivered there might already know. But the 1st one definitely would help to know ahead of time :)

Thanks!

Re: inova hospital questions

  • I delivered at inova Fairfax.  I assume it's similar.  As with any hospital stay, I received three meals a day from the hospital cafeteria.  Dh was not a patient so he did not receive food.  He ate in the cafeteria or ran out for food with family.  The cafeteria took cash and credit cards.

    The nurses told us we could take everything home but the linens-vaseline, diapers, wipes, bottles, pads, pacifiers, aspirator, etc.

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • I generally had a very good experience at INOVA Alexandria, but the food is horrible.  All food is included in the hospital stay for the mother, but not for the father.

    I went to L&D at 32 weeks for possible pre-term labor: they did the most critical thing, which was stop the worst of the contractions and labor.  But I was there for several hours, and 32 weeks pregnant with twins, so I was starving. I asked for food, and apparently I was between set mealtime or something, so all they brought me was juice and crackers after requesting and waiting awhile for more food.  DH went to the cafeteria and bought me a turkey sandwich.  The cafeteria sandwich was pretty good. 

    Then at 38 weeks I had a scheduled csection.  The day before my csection DH and I went out to dinner, but my heartburn was so bad that I vomitted up my entire meal an hour later.  And they won't let you eat the day of your csection. By the time I have the csection, it had been over 24 hours since I last ate, and then they put you on a liquid diet for 24 hours after a csection.  So lunch comes the day after the girls were born, and it's now been 48 hours since I had real food.  I'm just starving and ready to eat anything.  The lunch comes and it's noodles topped with the most disgusting stuff I've ever seen/tasted/smelled. DH compared it to pig vomit.  My parents went down the street to Quiznos and got me a sandwich, and then they brought me meals for the rest of the time I was in there.  The hospital meals all came with a piece of fruit, which was good, but everything else was a little suspect.

    As for what you can take, they have wipe containers and any that are open you can take, and you get the nose sucker bulb thing, and there were some pads, but I prefered regular maxi pads.  I don't think you get to keep the blankets, we didn't take them. 

    I wrote a book, sorry about that. I hated the food, but I wasn't there for the food, I was there for them to take care of me and my babies, and they did a great job of that.

     

  • Loading the player...
  • but is there food that is included with our stay? Or is it just for me, since I'm the patient recovering? Just for you,.  Does DH have to bring in all his own food? Yes.  Does the cafeteria take cash only?  I think so, but I'm not 100% sure. 

    I had my H bring some food from Chicken Out (Bradlee Shopping center on route 7 near Quaker Lane) for dinner one night.  One lunch, he brought up a BLT from the cafeteria that was actually really good.  The Pastry Cafe in Bradlee shopping center also has good sandwiches and salads.  I brought some snacks from home.  Takeout taxi didn't have anything that different or better, IMO.

    What we took home:  Nasal aspirator, comb, a couple of baby hats (critical since store bought ones rarely fit newborns, esp. if they are small).  We also stocked up on some of the ready to feed formula and nipples - though I'll admit I'm not sure if we were supposed to :  We used them the first few nights at home for feedings to make life easier.  You can also do that with the mesh panties - just ask for more than you need (though I was fine with regular underwear the second day).  The nurse was probably referring to the Similac diaper bag you'll get as a freebie.  They also gave us two booklets "Mother Care" and "Infant Care" that were great and we referred to often in the first days at home (and to settle disputes over what to do, lol).

    What we didn't get to take home: diapers or swaddling blankets, t-shirts.  These are supplied only for the baby while in the hospital.

    I also brought with me a blanket to take the baby's picture on, a going home outfit, the moby.

  • like the PP said, the food is horrible. i delivered at INOVA Alexandria too, and most of what i ate came from outside the hospital. i ate while i was in labor, and i ate immediately after having a c/s. everything i learned in my birth class and in my readings suggested that mothers should eat during and after labor to maintain their energy -- liquid alone will not do it and is a factor in labors that lead to c/s b/c the mom is exhausted. try eating honey, yogurt, bananas and other high-energy foods during labor. pack them in your hospital bag.

    DH did not get hospital meals. the cafeteria takes cash/credit/debit.

    we took: mesh panties and pads

    the blankets are not the softest material and i felt the texture was a little too rough for my newborns skin. we brought our own blankets and used those. same with the diapers. i asked for extra mesh panties every day and put them in my bag...they were amazing to wear for the first few weeks b/c the skin on my abdomen was very sensitive.

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • I delivered at Alexandria, and it's funny, I don't remember the food being good or bad.  I guess I ate it, I must not have thought it was too bad.  But like pp said, bring some money for your DH to get you some food in case you can't eat the hospital food.

    I was not shy about taking stuff home from the stash of mesh panties/pads they had for me to use while I was there.  I don't remember taking diapers home, and definitely not blankets.  They also let you take the plastic insulated mug, which sounds minor, but it's a good size and I still use mine!

    Wife, Musician, Fed, WW-er, and Mom of three little kids - not necessarily in that order.
  • I also delivered at Innova Alexandria, and the food was fine.  I was there for 4 days because I had a c-section, so I had a bunch of meals.  No food for DH.

     They gave me a pack of diapers to bring home, as well as the open aspirator, binky, baby wash from his post-delivery wash down, and wipes.  I didn't bleed that much so I didn't take mesh panties or pads, but they were on a shelf in my bathroom and I am sure I could have.  We also took his hat, but not the t-shirt he wore or the blanket (which I agree was kind of rough).  Beyond the sample goody bag, we also took home formula and nipples (the ready mix mini bottles), but I'm pretty sure they kept track of how much we used/went home with and it ended up on our bill at the end.

    Warning No formatter is installed for the format bbhtml
  • I delivered at Inova Fair Oaks so it might be a little different.

    The food there was actually pretty good.  It was only for me b/c I was the patient.  DH either went to the cafeteria or ran out to get something.  The night I delivered he went out and got me Subway.  The cafeteria took cash and credit cards.

    The nurses told me what I could take.  By that point I was done with the mesh panties.  I actually asked for some "extras" to take home and they gave it to me.  There was a little bag of stuff that they told me to take.  It had Dermoplast, lotion, body wash, witch hazel pads and some other tolietries.  I asked for extra Dermoplast and they brought me 2.  I also asked for extra pads and they brought me some.  On DD's bassinet thing there was a drawer and they told me to clean it out.  It had a nasal aspirator, single serve formula (even though I was BF'ing), comb, diapers and wipes.  I was told to leave the clothes and linens but that I could take the hats.  I did and, I'll admit, I did take one of the undershirts.  They also gave the the little pan thing to take a sitz bath. 

    Lilypie Fourth Birthday tickers
    Lilypie Second Birthday tickers
  • I delivered at VHC, but I think basic rules are the same.  The meals were not great, but on my last day I ordered off the a la carte menu (mostly cold sandwiches) and that was soooo much better and I wished someone had told me to order those instead of the hot meals the whole time.

    Anything that is left in your room is yours.  I don't think that they can reuse, even if you didn't touch it.  Make sure you get witchhazel pads for swelling if you're pushing at all.

    DH took home some of the hats and an outfit from the hospital with Sophie's scent on it so our dogs could smell her before we took her home.

    image
  • I don't have anything to add but I will be delivering at INOVA Alexandria and this info is really helpful!
    Lilypie Third Birthday tickers
  • I delivered at INOVA Fairfax and (unfortunately) DD also had to spend a little time in INOVA Fair Oaks. In both places we learned that anything they put in your room that is not linens (such as the pads, diapers, syringe, creams, etc.) cannot be used for other patients. Once they've given it to you, it's yours. I know that doesn't apply to any of the clothes, blankets or towels. However, they did let us take one blanket and the t-shirt DD was wearing. I asked for a few extra things to take (like the ice packs) and they also gave those to me.
  • You can pretty much take home anything that's in the crib that's not linen or baby shirts. We can't use the diapers or pads, etc for any other patient (once its been in your room/crib), so it will just go in the trash if you leave it. I would ask for extras of diapers, etc when you can;)

  • I was in FFX for 8 days and the food was pretty damn decent!
  • I agree... I was in INOVA Fairfax and the food was decent there.
  • I just delivered at Inova Alexandria last week. The food is BAD. I ate it the first day because lunch was brought to my room about an hour after I delivered and I was starving. It was some sort of mystery meat and potatoes. The rest of my meals came from outside the hospital.

     As far as what you can take--everything except linens and pillows. I recall during our childbirth class at Inova that the nurse said that you are paying for it all, so take it. We took diapers, swaddling blankets, baby tshirts, mesh panties, pads, ice packs, sitz bath bowl, etc.

    Photobucket
  • Clara - we must have been there together last week although we were apparently being served entirely different meals.  I found the food to be bland, but fine so that once I used the salt and pepper, it was definitely edible.  My only problem is that I was starving and the three meals provided never seemed to fill me up (I went through a lot of crackers and juice).

    The hospital does have a dietician on staff and as soon as I said something about the food, they were right on it and I got more filling meals. (I am a vegetarian, so they would serve me the same plate as the "regular meal" without anything to substitute for the meat.)  Also, you can write in stuff on their menus (you get a choice of 2 meals on a card you fill out the day before) and they did bring the stuff that I wrote in.

     Hoochifyd - I actually did see you when you came for your tour (I was standing by the door when you walked in in a purple robe) but was going to my "discharge meeting" so that I could leave the next day and didn't get a chance to say anything to you.  I was hoping that I would be done by the time you guys came back around, but no such luck.

This discussion has been closed.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"