Pregnant women from Ukraine, running from war, find refuge and support in Bulgaria. Fate has ordained that their babies be born in a Bulgarian maternity hospital, making Bulgaria the country of their birth. Four Ukrainian babies have been born in this country so far, more are on the way.

The town of Kazanlak is on the CV of baby Marc. His mother Anastasia fled Kyiv via Bulgaria for Turkey, together with her family. But in the last minutes of 8 March she was taken to the hospital. The baby weighs 3.5 kgs., and is doing very well. Perhaps because of the stress and the thousands of kilometres travelled, the baby was born prematurely. “We first had to stabilize the mother, she was absolutely exhausted,” says Dr. Ivana Nihtyanova, head of the maternity ward. It was a natural birth. In the meantime, the doctors were able to accommodate Anastasia’s relatives at a hotel.

The first Ukrainian baby born in Bulgaria came into this world at the Virgin Mary hospital in Burgas on Bulgaria’s national day, 3 March. The baby’s 39-year old mother Olena Molovana fled Kyiv with her two children when she was nine months pregnant. After a nightmare journey she reached Primorsko on the Black Sea, and a little later baby Mihaylo was born. A Bessarabian Bulgarian touched the hearts of many when he gifted a home in Primorsko to Olena and her children, whose father is mobilized in Ukraine.

One day later, on 4 March, baby Anna came into this world at a hospital in Varna, after her mother Shurena fled Odessa and found shelter here, in Bulgaria.

“Thank God everything is fine. I gave birth by Caesarian section. The journey was really long and hard,” she says.

19-year old Olya Rebchuk fled Odessa with her husband and her parents at the end of February. After a journey of several days, the Ukrainian family ultimately found refuge in Silistra. And so, on 6 March, baby Eric, weighing 3.3 kgs., came into this world at the local hospital. The young mother says she hopes the war will be over soon and they will be able to go home, together with Eric. The family has been provided with accommodation.

• More than 100 volunteer doctors provide free medical care to refugees from Ukraine

Nine-months pregnant Natasha is among the refugees from Ukraine. She is living with a family in Plovdiv, together with her child, and is expecting to give birth to her second offspring in a matter of days. The local maternity hospital told her not to worry, that she would give birth at the hospital where she and her baby would receive the necessary care. As it turned out, the doctor taking care of Natasha is also Ukrainian. Dr. Lyubov Staneva has been living in Bulgaria for 11 years. “Women who are pregnant, who need help, we are ready to admit them to our hospital and to give them every medical assistance they need,” Dr. Staneva said. Doctors from all over Bulgaria have stated their readiness to help expectant mothers among the refugees coming from Ukraine.

• A number of hospitals in Bulgaria provide free assistance to refugees from Ukraine

Compiled by Veneta Nikolova