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.
At 15, doctors told Charlene Medlicott she would never have children – but five years on she has defied twenty five-million-to-one odds by giving birth to quadruplets.
Remarkably, all four were conceived naturally, in a quadruplet pregnancy which is considered to be very rare and potentially very dangerous.
Charlene, 20, was diagnosed with polycystic ovaries as a teenager, a condition which restricts ovulation and dramatically reduces a woman’s chances of becoming pregnant.
She and partner Mark Connaughton were stunned to discover they were expecting – but an even bigger surprise came six weeks into the pregnancy when doctors confirmed it was quads.
Mark, 26, said: “It was a big shock to the system! To find out you’re having one is enough a surprise, but four is very different.”
The little girls, who were born six months ago, are even more of a miracle as they all survived, despite doctors advising Charlene to abort two of them to give the other two a better chance of survival.
More than 100 friends and family turned up to see the babies christened by vicar Rev. Rosemary Freeman – who still had trouble telling them apart.
Proud parents Charlene and Mark dressed their daughters in identical traditional christening gowns and shows – with their own style hairbands to tell them apart.
The christening at St Michael’s Church in Madeley, West Mids, comes as the couple plan to marry, after being engaged since 2010, and they have four beautiful bridesmaids already to hand.
Evelynn Lillian Julie and her twin Rosaline Anita Mae were born prematurely in the same delivery as Gracie-Lou Anne and her twin Amalia-Rose Rachael on December 11, 2011.
They all spent several weeks in neo-natal care before their parents were allowed to take them home.
Charlene said: “We have learned to deal with them very well – they are all very well behaved babies.
“They cry when they want something but then they just go back to sleep. There’s always one who wants something though.
