I have recently done some time in the High Risk Perinatal Unit (HRP) at INOVA Fairfax (Hotel INOVA). I spent a total of 8 weeks in the same four walls on bed rest due to pregnancy complications and post partum. It was a very small price to pay to have the assurance that my babies and me had the best care around at the top National facility. I will forever be grateful to the Doctors, Nurses and all the staff that took care of me while I was incarcerated, but time in the hospital isn't as easy as you'd think.

Hospital Food. I had a full menu to choose from and delivery three times a day during 6:30am and 7:30 PM. You get to know the operators that take your orders daily and if you say "Please" and "Thank You" a lot, I found that you get the cookies fresh out of the oven rather than the dried up ones from the previous batch. You also learn to order early or late so the cooks can put thought, and maybe a little extra love into your meal. I had an egg white and veggie omelet during rush hour one morning that you could wring the grease out of. It made eating healthy a little challenging when even the vegetables were covered it what seemed like a processed film.

I learned a little too late during my stay that the best water pressure and hot water supply was at about 5am before the rest of the floor awoke. It was a treat to get a quiet, hot, powerful shower. A question I was too embarrassed to ask was about the spray wand attached to the toilet that projected water when in place and flushed. One would think initially it was some kind of bidet, but the water sprayed into the toilet and not up like a bidet would. I guess I'll never know.

The hospital beds have two ultra florescent lights above them; one is full power, one is about 1/3 strength. When either one is on it will make you feel a little bit like a lab rat in a cage being observed for odd symptoms. I never liked it with the lights on. There is also a louvered window in every room so the nurses can spy on you without coming in which works great unless you are awake.

If you accidently pull an alarm, it's all hands on deck. My husband learned this the hard way when he took a shower on one of his overnight visits and accidently pulled the alert. Five nurses came running to assist thinking that patient 6 was having a baby in the toilet and found a wet, naked man instead.

Friendships are built on the floor like a bunch of freshman at boarding school and stories can be passed around from room to room. My favorite tales were about nurses walking in on oral sexual behavior between patient and visitor and Jerry Springer like domestic spats where security had to be called.

I will forever remember my experience at Hotel INOVA with fond and fun memories waiting for my babies to arrive, but I wouldn't be eager to do it again. It was a very small price to pay to have the assurance that my babies and me had the best care around at the top National facility. I will forever be grateful to the Doctors, Nurses and all the staff that took care of me while I was incarcerated, but time in the hospital isn't as easy as you'd think.