Pregnant Ukrainian Surrogates Trying To Flee Warzone Told To 'Turn Back'

A surrogacy clinic in Kyiv has urged pregnant surrogates to return to Ukraine to give birth.

Denis Herman, who works as a legal adviser for the BioTexCom surrogacy clinic in the Ukrainian capital - which is now operating out of a bomb shelter - explained how several pregnant surrogates had fled the country.

Denis said it had been arranged that they would "return closer to the due date of delivery" due to complications of having the babies in another country.

The clinic has been advising their surrogate mothers "not to give birth in third countries, because the countries located next to Ukraine prohibit surrogacy".

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If the women were to give birth in a country prohibiting surrogacy, there could be "lots of problems with the paperwork and establishing a parent-child relationship, because under the legislation of these countries a legal mother is always a woman who gave birth to a child regardless of a genetic relationship".

As well as the legal problems, the safety of pregnant women travelling is also an issue.

"The roads are very risky, and the railway stations are still overcrowded, So, there is a risk for the health of the surrogate mother and the unborn child," says Denis.

With the invasion of Ukraine now reaching its 13th day, the legal advisor also explained how surrogate mothers are concerned that parents who paid them to carry their children will be unable to come and pick up their babies after the births.

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"Of course, they are worried, and one of their concerns is when the parents will manage to come and pick up the baby after childbirth," he adds.

"We are in constant contact with all of the surrogate mothers, we assist them in relocation if needed. For example, one of our surrogate mothers lives in a region severely affected by the war.

"She asked us to let her live at our apartment with her child, while normally we would ask her to find a nanny for her child and pay her expenses. The next day after she moved, the attack destroyed a house where she intended to leave her child."

Denis added: "We ask the intended parents that may see the article to stay calm and keep the contact with the embassies. We will take care of their children as long as it is needed [sic]."

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Earlier this week, one surrogate baby was born in a temporary air raid shelter and handed to his biological parents, who fled the country in snowy conditions in the middle of the night.

Baby Alfonso was born in the basement of a maternity hospital in Kyiv on 26th February, two days into the Russian invasion.

Eugenia and Sebastian Manoni captioned a picture of their newborn: “There is no war that love cannot overcome.”

The couple had travelled to Ukraine - along with other Argentine couples - just as Russia launched the invasion. They received a message from the Argentine consulate informing them to seek shelter in the bunker of the Argentine Embassy in Kyiv, and then had to cross the city to welcome their baby into the world.

Eugenia told Infobae: “Although the entire operation had been perfectly orchestrated, there was not much time. Sebastian drove for 17 hours nonstop through fog, snow and terrifying cold.”

Prices at the BioTexCom clinic reportedly range from €39,900 to €64,900 (£33,200 to £53,980). Denis said that the "current situation is very hard" but he added that they were fortunate to have not been affected directly by the Russian attacks yet.

If you would like to donate to the Sunflower of Peace Foundation, which provides support and aid for Ukrainian orphans, internally displaced persons, and those most affected by the current situation, click here for more information.