The Netflix documentary 'A Child of My Own' tells the stranger-than-fiction story of Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, a hospital worker who went to extreme lengths in her efforts to become a mother. Director Maite Alberdi recounts their meetings in a low-security Mexican prison, where Alejandra was serving a 13-year sentence for snatching a newborn baby.
Inside the Case: A Baby in a Gift Bag
CCTV footage shows a young woman carrying an oversized gift bag out of a hospital, past chatting security guards. Inside the bag was a newborn baby girl, just hours old. The woman was not the baby's mother. Alejandra, as she is known, had kidnapped the infant from her hospital cot.
When Alberdi first met Alejandra, she was captivated by her story. 'Everything she was telling me was extraordinary, stranger than fiction,' Alberdi said. Alejandra claimed she had made a deal with the baby's mother, Mayra, who wanted to give up her child. But court evidence told a different story.
The Deception Unravels
Alejandra had a history of miscarriages and IVF. After her third miscarriage, she faked a pregnancy, concealing the loss from her husband Arturo. She worked at the hospital where Mayra gave birth. Alejandra's version: they had an arrangement. But Mayra's witness statement said Alejandra posed as a social worker and kidnapped the baby without consent.
Alberdi obtained the trial transcripts and was shocked. 'When I saw the evidence, I thought: Oh no, I was so wrong. I crashed into reality,' she said. Despite the revelation, Alberdi continued with the film, focusing on the societal pressures that drove Alejandra to such extremes.
Social Pressure and Motherhood in Latin America
Alberdi says the story is about 'the social pressure of motherhood in Mexico, in Latin America.' Alejandra faced constant judgment after miscarriages, with her mother-in-law blaming her. Her husband Arturo's disappointment added to her guilt. 'Everybody has an opinion about how you are living motherhood, all the time,' Alberdi noted.
The documentary uses dramatic reconstructions in the style of a Mexican telenovela, depicting Alejandra's version of events. Alberdi estimates it's about 80% accurate. The tone shifts from farcical to tragic, highlighting Alejandra's isolation at her baby shower and her psychological pregnancy.
The Real Victims
The film also includes interviews with Mayra, whose trauma remains raw. 'She suffered so much. I understand that she cannot forgive Alejandra,' Alberdi said. Mayra's daughter, now a teenager, is healthy and happy, but her parents are overprotective. Alberdi chose not to include an interview with her to avoid victimizing her further.
Alejandra maintains her innocence to this day. Her husband Arturo was also arrested but acquitted. The documentary premieres on Netflix on 13 August.
