I was so afraid I could not find my baby in this chaos. The story of Mom and a son born in the first day of russian invasion

24th of February, Kyiv

Saving your children is about taking most of the things to the back seats as nonimportant. For the second month in a row, Ukrainian moms do their best to keep the country's future safe and take care of their children's lives. Being a hero Mom is to make choices based on your kid's vital needs and be ready to pay any price for their lives. This is a story of Mom, who has been in hot spots in Afghanistan and Donbas twice; she gave birth to her son in the first hours of the russian invasion. 

"The idea resonates with me; I think we did say enough good words to those who have helped our children to be born. Doctors have done a feat, and this is a holy truth."

Expecting a baby was a big deal to this woman - she is almost 40. She had 22 years of career achievements, eight countries, and cities on her back. When the couple became pregnant, the specialty of the moment was obvious to each of them. Four weeks before the labor, when the level of the information warfare was on top, the Mom-to-be started to panic: "Have I chosen the best Maternity hospital. Do they have a bomb shelter?". Everyone was questioning whether the war would happen, but no one had a plan in case of that.

The heroine did not believe the war may knock on her threshold. But her husband was actively preparing for the worst-case scenario. He insisted on clearing the basement to keep the second car ready for a trip in the backyard. He asked her wife to leave. But she did not want to have unpredictable effects or deviations during the labor. She wanted to be in her doctor's hand in the hospital she trusted.

"I've been in Afghanistan, Donetsk, and other hot spots; it was so strange for me. We've asked what it is going to be if war happens? And I've got only touching looks in reward."

At 4.55 am on February 24, the president of the russia federation announced a special operation mission to free Ukraine from the genocide of the Kyiv regime. In an hour, the army of invaders started a missiles attack on Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa. And have spread all over the state border for 1500 km. 

"At 5.46 am at Osokorki district, we have heard two explosions. I can't say the windows trembled, but my husband started to read the news - he had expected the invasion, unlike me. I went to the bathroom and discovered the massive bleeding at the bottom of the bump. I yelled and started to panic. We went to the hospital immediately. On the way, we have seen some important things. There was a lot of car-like for such an early morning. Some people have already understood what has happened. They were riding with car trailers, fool of staff. I recall this only now."

Before the war, every mom had a perfect day to deliver on 22.02.2022. during the doctor's visit exactly on this day, the ultrasound was not done, and complications were left unnoticed. 

The heroine was examined every two hours in the hospital and got the diagnoses: oligohydramnios, placental abruption, bleeding, and the doctor's verdict:

"your surgery starts in 45 minutes".

While mom to be was prepared for general anesthesia to exclude blood and baby loss, her husband observed hospital staff worries. No one knew when the next shift would come and what was going to be next. The heroine was the first patient who passed through the cesarian section that day. Following her, more women have started to come and ask for surgery at any price to save their unborn children and prevent labor on the road. Like others, the private maternity hospital Isida accepted all pregnant women needing medical help for free. Most women have mass bleeding because of stress. 

On February 25, there was a c-section record for the clinic for 26 years of work. 

"When I was taken to the emergency, my husband was bothered about whether doctors would be able to do the surgery in the right way. The hospital director's office was on the same level as the emergency. So the director invited my husband to his office, made a coffee, and chatted all the time surgery lasted. These people were amazing! I've succeeded in getting surgery in operational mode with full ventilation and a full set of stuff. Just right after me, the volatility started"

The newborn's Mother was recuperating in the hospital room. Her husband was trying to tell her about the war without stress. Due to the difficult anesthesia recovery process, the woman could not see her baby the next morning. And the urgent evacuation has started because of the explosions nearby and numerous air raid alerts. 

"Only 12 or 15 hours have passed since the surgery, and we have started to evacuate to the basement. All newborns were already there, so it was our turn. Most of the women did not even get up since the surgery was done. There were no conditions to transfer so many women. When we started to move, I started to panic and shout - I was so afraid I could not find my baby in this chaos. I did not even know how he looked; I've not seen him. I became calm only when I found my son and cling to a hospital crib.”

There were 35 women in the basement of the Maternity Hospital Isida. Those who have delivered in the last three days, those expecting the labor, moms of premature babies, and newcomers. 

On February 26, due to safety reasons, the longest curfew in Kyiv started: from 5:00 pm Saturday till 8:00 am on Monday. No one could go out; immediate shooting would follow.

The bomb shelter in this story was on the minus first floor, where the staff's cafeteria and laboratories were allocated. Women have been established on hospital beds in human chains on both sides of the corridors: mom and a newborn child, one after another. Babies who were supervised by neonatologists were taken to a separate room - the cafeteria itself. It was called the children's room. An extra surgery was set here as well. To decrease the level of infection, doctors were making as many operations upstairs as they could. Women were giving birth here in the basement as well. The kitchen was also there. 70% of the patients came with their husbands - it was an extra load for food provisioning. There was no soundproofing - one baby started to cry, and the other followed in seconds.

"I feel guilty. I think we have not praised the doctors enough. They had a four days shift, in fact, starting from Friday till Monday. Since February 24, they helped in labor, restored, made a treatment, dripped, pricked, rocked the babies."

The men have made a gentlemen club very fast. They were exchanging the news without disturbing freshly baked Moms. No one knew how they would leave a hospital when the curfew ended.

"My husband is very active. He has found some nook at the end of the corridor and told me he has got a luxury place. We were accommodated in a luxury room in the hospital, so he continued to make fun of this VIP stuff. We have moved to this place with our son and my friend, who was with us."

When the superlong curfew has ended, the family has lived in the hospital. They needed to drive through the whole city to its left bank.

"The city has changed. We have lived in the city and have returned to other full of anti-tank obstacle defense units. People have been mobilized. There was an enormous quantity of militaries on the bridge. The military units were driving just in the opposite lane. We were standing for the 2.5 hours on the Southbridge.

“It seemed like we were in the empty arena, and we could be shelled just right now. And we stand still here, and we have a baby, and he is only four days old."

The family has taken friends' cats, a friend, and her mom to their house. Here they have spent one more week until the danger came closer - the windows were trembling because of explosions. The basement was too cold for a newborn son. So, despite the insecure driving, numerous checkpoints, and first shooting cases of the civilian cars attempting to evacuate. On March 7, the family made a decision to move to the western part of Ukraine. The son was only 11 days old. The parents of heroin with her grandmother were in Kharkiv; they did not want to evacuate. To support the women, they have sent photo reports of the help provided by volunteers. The husbands' parents took care of the children's house and remained in Kyiv.

Three days after, the family arrived at the apartment they had rented, but it was already occupied, and they remained homeless with a newborn kid. Overnight stays at friends' and partners' homes followed.

There was no place in the city of Vinogradov on the border of Ukraine, Romania, and Hungary except the Catholic church. Here a baby boy has got his first transport - the stroller is still in use by the family. The adults have got clothing and necessary staff as present as well. 

"We took only crucial staff for a kid. But everyone was so responsive. We have met people who have rented us half of their house. We stayed there for one more week. When explosions achieved Lviv and Uzhgorod, my husband insisted, and we decided to move to Bulgaria. He did not want to leave; he wanted to be useful inside of the country."

The woman waited for two days for her mom and drove for three days. They crossed two borders until they reached Bulgaria. Every two hours, the stop was made to feed the baby. 

"Some unbelievable powers awaken inside. You don't care about anything if you need to rescue a baby. Being a breastfeeding Mom after surgery and driving for three days - is challenging.

The message to a son

I wrote a lullaby when I was heavily pregnant. I usually write songs in English only for the first time in Ukrainian - it is my hobby. What is waiting for you, my love? What is your destiny? To which kind of countries will your road lead you? I asked myself what perspective waits for my son. The Mother’s heart already knew the future was uncertain, not the way we have planned.

I wish people he would meet open the doors and their hearts.

I wish the resilience he got forced would become in need only for good things. So his first month in life would be the toughest time he had. 

I wish the world would be open for him - I don't know any baby who has crossed so many borders, met so many peoples, seen a lot, and been so young.

I dream we all can find a common language like human beings and hope this will be above politics, ideology, etc.

The baby got a name in honor of her Mom's Jewish legacy.