There are several surrogate mothers in Ukraine. This industry is popular in Ukraine. Genetic parents from different countries are choosing surrogate mothers from Ukraine to carry their child.
There is a swell in the number of unclaimed babies from surrogate mothers in Ukraine. That is because, in the past months, the coronavirus pandemic caused lockdowns to be implemented. That also meant that flights were canceled, so parents cannot claim their babies.
Some officials even predicted that if the lockdowns will continue, there is a possibility that the unclaimed babies will reach up to a thousand.
The Ukrainian government was strict in implementing restrictions from entering the country.
Unclaimed babies meet parents after weeks of being unclaimed
According to a report from the New York Times, about one hundred babies were waiting for their parents to claim them from the surrogate mothers in Ukraine.
Just recently, the government of Ukraine allowed some families to enter the country to claim their babies. That is after going through a mandatory quarantine.
These couples were from Argentina and Spain.
Around 11 babies meet their parents for the first time, after weeks or months of waiting.
The backlog problem in the baby pickup
In one of the largest surrogacy agency in Ukraine, the birth rate is comparably faster than the speed of babies meeting their parents.
Because of travel restrictions all over the world, a growing number of babies remain unclaimed in the surrogacy agencies in Ukraine.
According to the human rights ombudsman od Ukraine, Lyudmila Denisova, only 31 of the 120 parents who have asked for travel assistance have arrived to pick up their baby.
In the United States, eleven parents have been assisted by the United States Embassy to travel in Ukraine. There are three more parents who are set to go to Ukraine next week.
Surrogacy Agencies: looking for ways to ease the backlog
When the borders of Ukraine were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, concerns about the burden in clinics were raised.
One of the largest surrogacy agencies in Ukraine, BioTexCom, said that they tried to develop mechanisms to solve the situation.
Because of the prolonged stay of unclaimed babies, some surrogate mothers find it challenging to take care of the baby, mainly because they get very little support.
laments and gratitude of surrogate mothers in Ukraine
Ukraine is one of the few countries that allow custody of generic parents, home to surrogate mothers with different thoughts in becoming one. Some are upset when they are about to hand their babies to the families, while others are grateful for the pay that they receive.
At an average, a surrogate mother is given fifteen thousand dollars per birth.
Some women's rights groups report that they receive calls every year from surrogate mothers in Ukraine asking for help.
Other stories of surrogate mothers include those who had to take care of the babies because the genetic parents did not claim the ones they gave birth.
