Mother who suffered four miscarriages gives birth to QUADRUPLETS without having IVF

After suffering four devastating miscarriages, Grace and James Slattery resigned themselves to the fact they would never have a child together. But they are now preparing to celebrate their first Christmas as a very extended family, after Mrs Slattery, 32, miraculously gave birth to quadruplets.

The couple, from County Limerick, Ireland, spend four years trying to have children and tragically suffered four miscarriages. They had suffered such heartache with each miscarriage they decided not to put themselves through IVF treatment, and gave up their dream of having a baby together. It was then that, incredibly, the couple received the news that Mrs Slattery had become pregnant completely naturally.

What came next was even more of a shock: she was pregnant with quadruplets. Doctors said the story really is a miracle, as the chances of conceiving quadruplets naturally is around one in 10,000.

Now, Mr and Mrs Slattery are looking forward to celebrating their first Christmas together with their now seven-month-old babies.

Mrs Slattery said: 'We call them our fantastic four. We cannot believe our babies are seven months old now - time flies and we are so looking forward to their first Christmas.

The couple's daughters Amelia Helen, Mollie Rose, Lily-Grace May, and son, Lucas James will enjoy their first experience of sitting by the Christmas tree and opening presents, as their parents are kept busy looking after them.

One of their daughters, Amelia, is a double miracle. She was born with a birth defect and her parents were told she would only last a few hours after being born. Amelia was diagnosed with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia - a hole in the diaphragm that allows the contents of the abdomen to move into the chest cavity and the organs to move into the wrong place.

Mrs Slattery said: 'We were told if Amelia was born too small, no surgeon would operate on her and due to her hernia, her heart was in the wrong place and lungs weren't properly developed.'

Thankfully, at 4lbs 3oz, Amelia was the biggest of the bunch and she had life-saving surgery as soon as she was born.

Mrs Slattery said: 'We are so thankful to the Crumlin Children's Hospital for saving our little girl's life.

'She has regular check-ups but has been a little fighter from the word go - she bit the doctor in the hospital!'