Woman who was told she was probably infertile becomes Britain's youngest mother of identical natural quadruplets

A 22-year-old woman who was told by doctors she would never get pregnant naturally has revealed her joy at being Britain's youngest mother of identical quadruplets, the Daily Mail reports.
 
Charlene Medlicott defied 25 million-to-one odds when she gave birth to four girls two years ago.

She had previously been warned she would probably never have a family without IVF treatment.

So Ms Medlicott was stunned when she conceived naturally and was told she was carrying four babies.

On December 11, 2011 she gave birth to 3lbs 6oz Gracie-Lou, 3lbs 4oz Rosaline, 2lbs 9oz Amalia-Rose and 2lbs 6oz Eveylynn.

Doctors initially believed she had two sets of identical twins but after the girls’ father, Mark, struggled to tell his daughters apart DNA evidence revealed all four girls are identical.

It means Ms Medlicott, a trainee neo-natal nurse, is Britain's youngest mother of identical quadruplets which could see her enter the record books.

The mother, from Telford, Shropshire, said: ‘I always knew my girls were special but now they could be record breakers too.

‘I really can't believe the girls are identical.

‘We paid to have the DNA tests done because I was noticing they all looked so alike and Mark was struggling to tell them apart.

'We got the results last week which showed the girls are all identical.

‘After looking on the internet the only other youngest mum of identical quadruplets was 27. I was 19 when I carried them and 20 when I had them. I'm sure I must be the youngest.’

Ms Medlicott was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries when she was 15.

The condition restricts ovulation dramatically reducing a woman's chances of becoming pregnant.

But five years later she stunned doctors when she conceived naturally and was dumbfounded when she discovered she was expecting four girls.

Worried doctors advised her to abort two of her babies over concerns all four would struggle to survive in the womb.

But she refused and today she has four identical healthy baby girls.

She said: ‘I never expected to fall pregnant so it was a real surprise when I was told I was expecting.

‘When the doctors said I should abort two of the babies I was devastated. I said “No, just no. It's murder.” I don't believe in abortion.
‘I'm so happy I stuck to my guns because I have four healthy babies.

‘I had a scan at six weeks and it looked like there were two different sacs which meant I was going to have two sets of twins.

‘The labor was fine up until 24 weeks when I was admitted to hospital and then I was transferred up to Liverpool Women's Hospital where I stayed until they were born.

‘I nearly died because my weight dropped, I just couldn't eat enough for all of us. I was eating enough for the babies but not for me.

‘I don't really remember the labour which was when I was 30 weeks, I just remember seeing three heads.

‘We were kept in hospital and the girls were in a neo-natal unit but we were all home eight weeks later.

‘Luckily the girls have always been really good and have always had a good routine.

‘As they got older we realised how similar they all looked but we had always been told by the doctors they were two pairs of twins.

‘We didn't bother to question it at first but then we thought we would check because we knew how rare it was.’

At Christmas Ms Medlicott, who is engaged to the girls' father, Mark Connaughton, 27, decided to pay for a DNA test on her daughters.

Mr Connaughton, who works at Tesco, said: ‘It was a big shock to the system.

‘To find out you're having one is enough of a surprise, but four is very different.

‘It feels extremely special now we know they're identical but I'm going to have to find a way of telling them apart.

‘I can struggle to tell them apart and I'm always getting them confused.

‘They soon tell me though when I call them the wrong name, I am sure they will be using it to their advantage when they are older.’

The girls will now join 70 sets of all-identical quadruplets worldwide.