Britain's most prolific surrogate mum will risk her life to have triplets

Surrogate mum Carole Horlock will not abort one of her triplets despite the risk to her own life
12 April 2012

Britain's most prolific surrogate mother is refusing to abort one of the triplets she is carrying despite doctors warning her life could be in danger.

Carole Horlock, who is 24 weeks into her ninth surrogate pregnancy, was warned of an increased risk of complications.

Doctors told the 41-year-old that because of her age the triplets are more likely to be born with disabilities, or die during the birth.

They also said that her own life could be in danger.

But Miss Horlock, who is carrying the triplets for a childless couple, said she is determined to deliver all three babies and refused even to consider having one of them terminated.

"I'm not against abortion but I think if you intentionally start a life then you have no right to end it," she said.

"I'm a healthy woman and I have delivered twins before with no problems so I don't think it would be justified."

Miss Horlock, from Stevenage, Hertfordshire, had her first child in 1991, when her 16-year-old daughter Steffanie was born during her first marriage.

Since then she has had another daughter of her own, 13-year-old Megan from another relationship, and nine surrogate children, including one set of twins, for childless couples.

She said yesterday that she already has her next surrogate pregnancy lined up.

"If all goes well with the triplets I will do one more," she said. "It's a woman I agreed to help in the past, but she fell ill and could not have the treatment to produce her eggs, but now she is better."

So far Miss Horlock, who moved to France two years ago, has given birth to six girls and three boys.

Miss Horlock is carrying two girls and a boy for a Greek couple, who are both teachers in their thirties.

The mother had a hysterectomy two years ago following cancer and although she can still produce eggs, she cannot carry a baby.

Embryos made from the father's sperm and mother's eggs were implanted into Miss Horlock's womb at a fertility clinic in Greece.

The Daily Mail revealed she was expecting triplets in September, when she was eight weeks pregnant.

Miss Horlock was later told by doctors that there was a 2.5 per cent chance that something could go wrong unless one of the foetuses was terminated.

They also said that the removal of one foetus carried with it a 12 per cent risk of losing all three, which would destroy the woman's only opportunity to have her own biological children.

"It's not a risk I was prepared to take," Miss Horlock said.

This is the first time Miss Horlock has used IVF to conceive. In her previous eight surrogacy arrangements, dating back to 1995, she was artificially inseminated with the father's sperm.

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