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Inna Slavhorodska‘s story shows how the war in Ukraine weighs on pregnant women. She fled the eastern front and returned home to Kharkiv, where she faced fear, loss, and the risk of harm. The article uses her journey to explain the broader risks for pregnant women and babies as hospitals are damaged and care is stretched thin. It highlights how fear and stress rise, how births move into unsafe spaces, and how doctors and nurses work under pressure to save lives.
- War brings heavy stress and fear to pregnant women, hurting pregnancies and births
- Maternal deaths rose and births fell as hospitals were damaged and people fled
- Maternity care often happens in basements or shelters after many hospitals were damaged or destroyed
- Women in the front lines and refugees face extra prenatal and delivery challenges
- Premature births and newborn health problems increased, with cases of complications like jaundice and low birthweight
Ukraine War Takes Toll on Pregnant Women as Births Fall and Hospitals Struggle
In Ukraine, the war has created a dangerous environment for pregnancy. Data show a rise in maternal mortality by more than one-third between 2023 and 2024, while the country’s birth rate has fallen sharply. Health officials say the damage to medical facilities, displacement, and ongoing stress are shaping each pregnancy. The figures exclude Crimea and areas currently under occupation.
Health System Damage and Delivery Conditions
More than eighty maternity and neonatal units were damaged or destroyed by December, according to United Nations records. Many hospitals had to move surgeries and beds to basements, and some births now take place in underground spaces. The UN helped frontier-area hospitals set up bomb shelters that include delivery rooms. Reports highlight that a number of cities no longer have full maternity wards, and the growing strain is affecting care for both mothers and newborns.
Personal Stories From the Front
In the early days of the invasion, a pregnant woman from the eastern region, Inna Slavhorodska, fled to Germany but suffered a miscarriage during the journey. She later returned to Kharkiv, became pregnant again, and delivered a healthy baby by cesarean in January. The day after the birth, drones damaged the hospital where she was recovering, but she and her child survived. Officials note the event underscores how fear and disruption shape every step of pregnancy during the conflict.
Other accounts describe extreme conditions. In Kharkiv, a 25-year-old expectant mother, Anastasia Lotkova, faced constant shelling and freezing temperatures after power cuts left her apartment at about 8 degrees Celsius. She used a personal ritual to cope with the noise during pregnancy. Military medical staff say pregnant service members face extra burdens: the standard uniforms do not accommodate a growing belly, and prenatal care on the front is limited.
On the front lines, paramedics and soldiers also navigate pregnancy. A 31-year-old woman, Iryna Dolhopolova, delivered a daughter in January after working as a paramedic up to the seventh month of gestation in dangerous areas. She and her husband, who met while serving, already have two older daughters and chose to welcome a new child despite the battle around them.
Rising Risks to Pregnancies
Medical professionals say war-induced stress, sleeplessness, and fear contribute to higher risks during pregnancy. Local data suggest a rise in premature births and miscarriages. One regional hospital in Sumy reported a jump in preterm births from about 2.9% in 2021 to roughly 5.5% in the most recent year. Experts warn that high blood pressure linked to stress can increase the chance of early delivery.
In the frontline city of Zaporizhia, doctors note newborns face higher risks of jaundice and low birth weight. A 39-year-old mother there had twins delivered by cesarean after an early rupture of membranes; the babies required incubators due to their premature birth.
Frontline and Military Women
Women serve across the Ukrainian armed forces, with estimates around 70,000 in uniform. The war places unique pressures on pregnant personnel, as the gear and battlefield conditions are not designed for expectant mothers. Medical teams acknowledge that prenatal care options near the front lines are limited.
Conclusion
Inna Slavhorodska’s journey, together with the broader data, shows that the war in Ukraine places pregnant women and their babies at heightened risk. Fear, stress, and displacement drive higher rates of preterm birth and miscarriage, while damaged hospitals and stretched resources push births into basements and shelters. The statistics reveal a rise in maternal deaths and a decline in births, underscoring the fragile reach of maternity care in conflict zones. Yet the narrative also honors the dedication of doctors, nurses, and frontline medical teams who continue to save lives under bombardment. The takeaway is clear: protecting maternity services and ensuring safe deliveries requires sustained international attention and investment, even as families like Inna’s navigate fear with resilience.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is pregnancy harder in Ukraine during war? War stress, fear, and bombings affect pregnancies. Displacement and many damaged hospitals raise risks. Many births happen in basements or shelters. Stress links to miscarriages and preterm births.
- How do power outages affect pregnant women and newborns? Power cuts hit heating and medical gear. Hospitals rely on generators. Care becomes harder and births move to safer spaces. Cold and noise raise stress for moms and babies.
- Have maternal deaths risen because of the war? Yes. Maternal death rates rose by more than a third from 2023 to 2024. Attacks on health facilities, stress, and displacement drive the rise.
- Are the number of births in Ukraine going down? Why? Yes. About 168,000 births last year, down from 274,000 in 2021. Some births aren’t registered when families become refugees. War stress and husbands serving in the army also cut planning for kids. Health care gaps add to the drop.
- Can you share a story that shows the impact on pregnant women? Inna Slavhorodska fled from the east, miscarried in Germany, then became pregnant again in Kharkiv. She had a healthy baby by C-section, but drones hit the hospital the next day. The story shows how fear and danger touch every birth.