She said, "This is a dream come true for both of us."
Mr Mullinder added, "We are overjoyed that Louise is expecting. We are so excited about becoming parents, and I know that Louise will make a fantastic mother."
Louise was born on July 25, 1978, after her parents John and Lesley had tried for nine years to have a child.
Her birth was the result of 12 years of research by a British team, Dr Robert Edwards and Dr Patrick Steptoe who pioneered IVF and brought hope to infertile couples.
Millions of babies have been born, since then, using IVF, including the couple's second child Natalie, 20.
She said, "I used to think I was special. I used to think about how I was conceived quite a lot when I was about ten or 11, but I don't think about it at all now that so many other babies have been born in the same way. Now I just get on with my life."
Her sister Natalie, who has two children, was the first test-tube baby to have a child of her own, ending speculation that girls born through IVF treatment might not be able to have healthy children.
Mr. Mullinder had no idea who Louise was when he met her...
"I knew her only as Louise. It wasn't until later that I had learnt her surname and realised she had been famous. It's just a minor detail to me. First and foremost she is Louise. It just works and it did from the start. It's a good relationship."
The couple are now excitedly preparing for the January birth.
Mr Mullinder said, "We are so excited about becoming parents, and I know that Louise will make a fantastic mother." |
