Shropshire mother's shock as quads found to be identi-kids
A woman who was told she would never have children believes she is the youngest mother of identical quadruplets in the UK.
After defying all odds to conceive naturally and give birth to four healthy girls, Charlene Medlicott, from Telford, thought she had two sets of twins.
But a DNA test has now revealed Gracie-Lou, Amalia-Rose, Rosaline and Evelynn, are incredibly rare identical quadruplets.
The odds of giving birth to quadruplets are about 729,000 to one. There are only a handful of quads in the country and Charlene believes that, at age 20 when she gave birth, she is a record-breaker.
"But as the girls have got older they just look exactly the same. Especially over the last 12 months and looking over baby pictures there's nothing between them. So we had a DNA test and they came back as identical.
"We are all just shocked. My mum has been that excited she's been researching it on the internet and we think I'm the youngest woman in the UK to have identical quads. There are eight sets of identical quads in the UK. We think I'm the seventh."
When she was 15, doctors told Charlene she would only conceive via IVF as polycystic ovary syndrome made her chances of a natural pregnancy almost zero.
"I was so shocked when I found out I was pregnant," said Charlene.
"I rang Mark and it went to voicemail so I just said, 'you're going to be a dad', then hung up."
Mark, 27, who works at Tesco in Madeley 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."
But for Charlene and Mark, the joy of finding out they were expecting four children was quickly replaced by an agonising decision when doctors advised the couple to abort two of their unborn babies to give the others the best chance of survival.
But they could not imagine deciding the fate of any of their unborn offspring.
Charlene said: "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."
After a tough labour, the girls were born nine weeks premature and spent several weeks in neo-natal care before their proud parents were allowed to take them home.
Gracie-Lou was the heaviest of the tiny bundles of joy weighing in at 3lbs 6oz, Rosaline was 3lb 4oz, Amalia-Rose 2lb 9oz and Evelynn just 2lbs 6oz.
Due to their premature birth they suffer from lung problems but the little fighters are getting along fine, says mum.
Now 27 months old, the sisters are proving tough to tell apart.
"I just know but Mark has trouble," laughed Charlene, who is training to become a neo-natal nurse.
"Gracie-Lou has a chubbier face and Amalia-Rose has a smaller face, Rosaline has a longer face and Evelynn is the smallest and has a little scar on her head."
The couple were orginally told they had two sets of twins, but DNA tests have proved they are identical quads.
Mark said: "It feels extremely special now we know they're identical."
"They don't get up until 9am and they go to bed at 6pm," said Charlene.
The four go to nursery from Monday to Thursday at Strawberry Hill in Sutton Hill.
"The house is so quiet when they're at nursery. I don't know what to do with myself," she said.
"I absolutely love having quads. I wouldn't have it any other way now. It's a shame everyone can't have multiples," she said.
But the couple have decided to draw the line at four children as another pregnancy for Charlene, who haemorrhaged during labour, could prove life-threatening.
"I've been told if I have anymore it could kill me," she said. "But I think we're fine as we are."
But wedding bells are on the horizon for the couple, who got engaged in 2010.
And they have four beautiful bridesmaids in waiting for when the big day comes.
