Ukraine: the harsh reality of motherhood during war
- April 21, 2024
- 0
Thousands of Ukrainian women are defying the uncertainty and challenges that come with Russian invasion have children while birth rate has fallen to its lowest level in decades,
Thousands of Ukrainian women are defying the uncertainty and challenges that come with Russian invasion have children while birth rate has fallen to its lowest level in decades, and the country is experiencing a deep demographic crisis.
In 2023, 187 thousand children were born in Ukraine.That’s down 32% from 2021, the year before the invasion, according to government data, largely because millions of women have fled the country and those who choose to stay face a range of challenges.
“Very uncomfortable become a mother right now,” he said EFE Lyudmila Primenko, 32 years old, resident of Dnieper (in the center). Her mother and baby hospital was bombed last December and she still doesn’t know where she will give birth.
However, recently Primenko noticed ‘baby boom’ Among her friends, who also live in the city, are regularly targeted by Russia.
“After so much uncertainty at the start of the invasion, many seemed tired of waiting,” he explains.
Overcoming the difficulties of war
“Every time I see my daughter smile at me and look at me with such tenderness and love, I feel like all the efforts were worth it,” Kristina Shumskaya, a 35-year-old resident of Lvov (west), told EFE.
Shumskaya and her husband put their plans to have children on hold when Russia began massing its troops along the border. Ukrainian in 2021.
However, the two, now in their thirties, felt they could wait no longer after it became clear that the invasion would not end anytime soon. “Nobody knew when the war would end,” he explained.
Shumskaya gave birth to her first daughter, Victoria, a little over a year ago. Working part-time at a computer company, she takes care of the child alone, with the help of her mother, since her husband was mobilized Army eight months ago.
“Now I play mother and father for Victoria,” she said.
The state pays Shumskaya alimony of about 40 euros after an initial assistance of 250 euros.
More and more women are thinking about having children if they could afford to hire a nanny, given the lack of other early childhood care options in Ukraine, or if they received training on how to care for their first child – as is the case in the Netherlands – she suggested.
With no bomb shelters nearby, Shumskaya is worried that a Russian missile could hit her apartment building and also worries about whether her husband will return from the war safe and sound.
Stress increases the risk of losing a baby
“Stress has a clear negative impact on women’s health, making it more difficult for them to conceive and increasing risk of losing a child“Ksenia Yazhilenko, a reproductologist at the Kyiv clinic “Akademik Grishchenko,” told EFE.
“I’ve never seen so much abortions throughout my entire career, as in the first three months of the invasion. Just talking about it brings back terrible memories,” he emphasized.
Despite everything, a large number of women still want to have children and turn to Yazhilenko for help.
After every major Russian attack, the clinic quickly fills up, and the specialist often acts as a psychologist, helping women she calls “fragile and brave.”
The clinic itself opened in December 2022 amid a power outage caused by Russian attacks against Ukrainian energy infrastructure.
For this reason, a complex battery system had to be developed, and doctors spent nights there, ensuring that the complex processes of creating embryos using embryonic methods were not interrupted. in vitro fertilization.
The state must guarantee soldiers’ families easier access to medical technologies. Assisted reproductionsaid Yazhilenko, whose clinic also stores sperm samples from soldiers.
“It would be logical to help the families of our best people,” he emphasized.
However, safety remains a major concern. “We are fighting to save lives. “Sometimes I’m very afraid of what will happen if our guys don’t manage to fight back against the Russians,” he said.
EFE
Source: Aristegui Noticias
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