I was a surrogate mother for a wealthy gay couple: They left me penniless, abandoned me with C-section wounds in the street and literally ran away with my baby
Belén, a struggling single mother of three in Argentina, agreed to be a surrogate for a wealthy gay couple in 2022, believing it would be her escape from poverty and an abusive home. However, the couple failed to pay her the promised monthly fees, forcing her to spend her own money on fertility procedures over nearly two years whilst supporting her children. After giving birth to baby Piero in September 2024, she alleges the couple took him within ten minutes of her leaving hospital and abandoned her while still recovering from C-section wounds.
The couple had agreed to pay Belén between 120,000 and 180,000 Argentine pesos (approximately £60–£90) monthly, depending on pregnancy stage, and to help her escape her abusive ex-partner's home. She waited nearly two years before becoming pregnant in January 2024 and received no payments during the initial fertility procedures. During her pregnancy, she lost her job due to complications and was left in financial desperation; when she called them in December 2023 unable to afford her children's Christmas dinner, they provided only a small amount for food. Belén now campaigns for surrogacy to be made illegal in Argentina, describing her experience as being treated as "the cheapest incubator they could find."
- Surrogate not paid promised fees by wealthy couple in Argentina.
- Baby taken minutes after leaving hospital; mother left abandoned and injured.
- Woman now campaigns for surrogacy to be made illegal.
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Surrogacy arrangements involve one woman agreeing to become pregnant and give birth on behalf of another person or couple who cannot have children themselves. In commercial surrogacy, the surrogate is typically paid a fee for this service. Whilst some countries have strict legal frameworks around surrogacy, regulations vary widely and gaps can leave surrogates vulnerable to exploitation.
Belén is a single mother in Argentina who entered into a surrogacy agreement with a wealthy couple in 2022, hoping the substantial monthly payment promised would allow her to escape poverty and an abusive relationship. The arrangement was meant to be a path out of her difficult circumstances for her and her children.
This case has renewed debate around surrogacy law in Argentina, where commercial surrogacy operates with minimal legal protection for surrogates. It raises questions about how vulnerable women in poverty can be protected from exploitation when they make agreements with wealthier individuals, and what legal safeguards should exist to enforce such arrangements and protect a surrogate's wellbeing.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Belén's case demonstrates how commercial surrogacy exploits economically desperate women whose vulnerability undermines their ability to enforce agreements or resist mistreatment. The couple's failure to pay whilst she sacrificed her health and income, combined with their alleged abandonment during her medical recovery, reveals the profound power imbalance inherent to such arrangements. When enforcement mechanisms are weak and women have few protections, prohibition offers necessary safeguarding against exploitation.
The case against
This case represents a failure of contract enforcement and legal protection, not an inherent problem with surrogacy itself. Well-designed regulations—including escrow payments, independent legal representation, guaranteed medical care, and enforceable contracts—can prevent such exploitation whilst respecting women's autonomy to make informed reproductive choices. Prohibition would deny those in poverty a genuine economic opportunity and risks driving arrangements underground where they become even more dangerous.