Single mother, 58, defends test tube baby decision after birth of twins

Carole Hobson, from Kent, had Matthew and Freida by emergency caesarean section on Christmas Eve -– making her one of the oldest mothers of twins in the country.

The twins, who each weighed 3lb 3oz at birth, were born nine weeks prematurely at Medway Maritime Hospital in Gillingham.

Ms Hobson told ITV’s Daybreak programme yesterday that the babies were conceived after she travelled to India for a fifth course of IVF treatment.

She said the egg was supplied by an Indian woman and the sperm by a man from Scandinavia.

Describing her attempts to become pregnant, she said: “Something kept me going, somehow I knew it was possible.

“I finally made the journey to Mumbai, India, and it worked for the fifth attempt.”

Describing the reaction of her family and friends to having IVF treatment at her age, the former barrister said: “When I made my first attempt, they were all delighted and thrilled for me and terribly disappointed when it didn’t work.

“When I reached the decision to make my fifth attempt I didn’t tell anyone. I was delighted (when it worked) and people were faced with the reality then and they were delighted.”

When asked if it was appropriate to have children at her age, she responded: “Lots of people do that.”