Yuliya Balahura, a 38-year-old mother from Bucha, just outside Ukraine's capital Kyiv, recounts a harrowing tale that illustrates the difficult choices Ukrainian women face when considering motherhood. Yuliya's baby daughter Mia spent her first night in the hospital's underground bomb shelter, amidst ear-splitting sirens and explosions due to the constant missile attacks on Kyiv.
Yuliya says, "You just get more hardened. You get used to attacks and constant air raids. You get stronger."
Widespread Decline in Birth Rates
According to data from Ukrainian analytics firm Opendatabot, just over 38,000 fewer babies were born in Ukraine in the first half of this year compared to the same period in 2021, before Russia's full-scale invasion began. This represents almost a third of the decline in the birth rate, and it's expected to continue plummeting as long as the conflict rages on.
Even before the war, Ukraine's birth rate was on the decline. But the current conflict has separated families, forcing many to postpone plans to have children. With hundreds of thousands of men enlisted or drafted and an unknown number dying in the process, many young women have been left in a state of uncertainty.
"Some of these women could have given birth this year but won't. After the end of the war, they might return to Ukraine or not. Maybe their husbands will join them abroad. Some families may break up," warns Oleksandr Hladun, deputy director of the Ptoukha Institute for Demography and Social Studies in Kyiv.
Despite the grim circumstances, some Ukrainian women are choosing not to let the conflict deter them from motherhood. Natalya Stolynets, a pediatrician in Bucharest, explains that even one or two newborns in a month have become a sign of hope. "Life shouldn't stop; even now we need to move on," she insists.
Halya Rudyk and her husband, Kostia Nechyporenko, both working journalists in Ukraine, have recently become parents and epitomize this spirit.
"When, if not now?" asks Halya. "We don't know if we will have jobs or how it's going to be in the future," she says, emphasizing that waiting for a "better time" could mean waiting indefinitely.
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A Difficult Choice
However, not everyone feels the same way. Iryna Melnychenko, a 35-year-old writer living in Kyiv, has chosen to delay her plans for a child. Her husband was called up to fight just three weeks after they were married.
"I could end up as a single mother," she realized, underscoring the severity of the situation.
Back in Bucha, Yuliya continues her daily walks with her daughters, viewing this normalcy as an act of defiance against the war. She hopes that the conflict will soon become a distant memory for her children and is determined that it's the adults' responsibility to make Ukraine a safe place for families once more.
The stories of these Ukrainian women highlight the complexities and agonizing decisions involved in choosing motherhood during a time of war, yet they also offer a glimpse into the resilience and hope that define the human spirit.
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