INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey -- Pregnant women around the world have a list of issues to worry about throughout their pregnancies: morning sickness, prenatal vitamins, back pain, swollen ankles, and others. Women at Incirlik had perhaps more: Stork Nesting. 

Stork Nesting is a program Incirlik adopted many years ago for pregnant women in their third trimester to fly to Landstuhl Air Base, Germany, and give birth in a comfortable and safe hospital. Once the baby is born the mother had to wait at least another 10 days for an emergency passport for their new child. 

However, due to vast improvements made in the Adana medical community, expectant mothers will no longer have this extra stress in their lives. 

"Stork Nesting is rapidly becoming a thing of the past," said Maj. Cheryl Esty, a 39th Medical Group women's health nurse practitioner. "Mothers now have the choice to stay at Incirlik for their full pregnancy and see a doctor at Açibadem, a new and fully functional hospital in the heart of Adana, and we want mothers to get more comfortable with their facilities." 

Açibadem is one of the leading medical groups in Turkey with 24 medical centers throughout the country and more than 7,000 employees. It's located a little more than 10 miles from the base, making it about a 30-minute car ride. 

"Açibadem has been open since February and has the same standards for sanitation and procedures as hospitals in the states," Major Esty said. "We even had a team of experts from the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center approve it as an option for Incirlik mothers to give birth." 

When a woman gives birth at the hospital, they will have the comfort of their own room, bathroom and full couch for the father to sleep on. 

Along with the accommodations Açibadem offers, members of the 39th MDG have prepared comforts of their own for patients receiving care from the new hospital. 

"All of the Obstetricians/Gynecologists speak English; however we also offer a Turkish translation book with common phrases and medical terms and a 24/7 service representative is available to answer questions and setup transportation there," Major Esty said. "Even though patients will receive all the care needed before and after pregnancy, our medical staff will always be here for anything they need." 

For more information on the Stork Nesting program, or Acibadem, contact Women's Health at 676-3141.