High blood pressure and flying to Turkey

[Seabright]

I feel like I'm not getting a straight answer from the medical profession and would wecolme the thoughts of others and the experiences of anyone else who's had a similar situation.

Even without being pregnant I have high blood pressure, and I'm now being treated with Labetalol and today my BP was 115/80 which is really low for me. I am 21 weeks pg. Community midwives told me I am at risk for pre-eclampsia and am testing urine daily for protein, but none in it. Feet swell in the evening, one headache per week and a little stomach pain (but it feels like a stitch to be honest, nothing more). Hospital midwife seems to think I'm being over-monitored.

Anyway, for the first time in 3 years we can have a holiday, so are off to Turkey (4-5 hour flight) in 2 weeks for a week. Community midwife not happy about the holiday as she doesn't trust Turkish hospitals (fair enough, but there are some UK ones I wouldn't want to go to either) and won't give me a Fitness to Fly letter, but says see my GP, he probably will.

I am being shunted between hospital MW's & registrars & community MW and no-one's really in charge at the mo until I see the consultant, 5 days before I'm due to go.

I don't want to take stupid risks but we really need to relax for a week after 3 years without a break. It's a hotel in a village, no activities just reading and chilling out. I feel fine.

What do you think? Should I go?

as long as your under 27 weeks you'll be fine without a letter. i flew to kuwait last week at 24 weeks and i didn't need a letter.

actually i should mention. i'm actually 28 now so was 27 weeks at the time and told everyone i was 24 weeks pregnant.

Hi seabright. I flew at 23 wks and didn't need a fitness to fly. Infact the airport staff didn't even realise I was pregnant (was v tiny) and put me in the emergency seats.
To me it would seem the pros and cons have to be weighed up and the decision made yourself. Have you sorted out insurance that would cover you if, god forbid, anything should happen? Would you be able to handle to be away in a foreign country where you don't know the language if you had to go to hospital?
I had high bp/preeclampsia during preg and my medication didn't really help at all. However I had a constant dull headache, swollen eyes and at the end my face swelled up like a balloon. All I can say is preeclampsia can come on very suddenly but a holiday in the sun may be good for the R and R and bp.

Hi BB & e&z, Did you both have high blood pressure at the time you flew? Where you on medication for it at the time?

Thankfully my medication is working

I flew to Portugal a week or so ago. I was 24/25 weeks and didn't need a cwertificate. just told em I was preggars and they gave me an extended belt to protect the bump and everything was fine.
I too have borderline high bp (get readings of around 125/83) and am on methyldopa. My midwives are quite laid back, I have a check up every few weeks or so and no one has really mentioned pre-eclampsia. I'm aware of it but I know my own body and am feelng quite good at the moment.
Trust your instincts - you can fly if you want to without anyone's permission, wear flight socks, take your maternity notes with you and have a damn good rest! The only word of caution is probably the temperature. i went to Portugal and it was about 24 degrees, which was nice. I think Turkey gets much hotter (35 degrees +) so just check you are OK with that.

Make sure your insurance cover you would be my first bit of advice. Secondly, I had an accident in Turkey 4 years ago and ended up in Hospital. I can honestly say they gave me the best care I have ever had from the medical profession anywhere!

Make sure you get flight socks though and relax.

Turkish hospitals have fantastic standards, contrary to what some people think.

Im flying there in a fortnight and Im 16 weeks pregnant. My DS1 was born premature, and midwife just told me to familiarise myself with a local hospital just in case.

Be careful with the temperature though as imoscarsmum said. Its currently 45C plus in some resorts.

Most of all drink plenty of fluid and relax!

I am going to try and see my GP tomorrow and see if he thinks it's a problem. If he's OK, I think (assuming nothing changes before we go) then we'll go - we need the break.

Seabright - I actually did have high bp at the time I flew, although it hadn't been picked up at that stage (my bp was below hypertension until about 27wks but as I have usually low bp it was high for me). I found out the week after I returned from my hols after finding out probs with the baby's growth. They put me on Methyldopa and then changed it to Nifedipine.
Like chinci my lo was born prem because of it and I was very ill after giving birth so it mightn't be a bad thing to find out where your nearest hospital is.
Good luck with your gp appt today.

As others said, find out about nearest hospital. And talk to hotel management about who among hotel staff will accompany you to this hospital (in day and night shifts) in case of emergency. Someone who speaks good enough English to translate medical words.

And relax

In the case of not finding anyone with good enough English (unlikely, but anyway), high blood pressure is 'yuksek tansion' in Turkish, just in case of emergency

I didnt live there for nothing you know

Seriously though, hope things went ok with the GP. Did he have any advice?

'yuksek tansiyon'

But near enough, chinchi. Very impressive

Yes, GP doesn't seem to think there's a problem, he wrote me a "Fit to Fly" letter there and then. Hurray! First holiday in 3+ years!

I know what you mean about being surprised by foreign hospitals, we had wonderful treatment in Thailand a few years ago, much better than any British A&E I've ever seen.

The website for the village we're going to gives details of the village doctor, even the hours it's open, plus there are two big hospitals detailed too.

I will take all my notes and cross my fingers that my early-stage pre-eclampsia stays stable!