Two babies mistakenly switched at birth in Argentina have been reunited with their mothers after a weeks-long battle with the clinic where they were delivered, one of the women says.
"I spent three weeks with a baby that was not my daughter, but I gave her all my love and knew that the other mom would do the same," Lorena Gerbeno told broadcaster C5N.
Gerbeno, a lawyer who suspected something was wrong from the start, sought out authorities who subsequently ordered genetic testing and seized documents from the private clinic in San Juan.
"Luckily, I'm suspicious," said Gerbeno, who currently does not intend to pursue further legal action.
However, she wants everyone to know about the mix-up and how it was handled.
She says the clinic dismissed not only her concerns, but also those of the other mother, Veronica Tejada. Both women gave birth on September 30.
"When my baby was born by C-section, they told me straight away it was a beautiful girl weighing 3.1 kilos, but when they gave her to me they said she weighed 3.8 kilos and was a breech birth," Gerbeno said.
"I told them that could not be, but they said I must have misunderstood. I never got any answers."
Suspicion turned to near certainty for Gerbeno when, by mere chance, she and Tejada found themselves at the clinic for a pediatric checkup and started chatting.
Before long, they realised that the birth weights of their respective infants matched up.
With the help of therapists, the two prepared themselves for the truth, which DNA tests confirmed.
"We talked on the phone and exchanged photos online," Gerbeno said.
Once it was clear a mistake had been made, the two mothers met to swap infants and finally hug their own.
"Thank God this nightmare is over," Gerbeno added.
