she is approaching her 49th birthday and had previously vowed her 15th baby would be her last but britain's most prolific surrogate mother is now hoping to have a 16th – and possibly 17th – child after two embryos were transferred into her womb at the weekend they belong to a couple who only met carole horlock for the first time a few hours beforehand carole horlock, 49, from colchester, essex, is britain's most prolific surrogate mother and is now hoping to have a 16th   and possibly 17th   baby  miss horlock with her 13th surrogate baby (left) and with baby number nine in 2004 (right) baby number one in december 1995   she became pregnant with her first child for another couple after reading a newspaper article about surrogacy  she said: 'i'm just a womb they've hired to help them achieve their dream of being parents as far as i'm concerned it's their baby not mine 'i know in my heart i've made the right decision to approach a mum who is desperate to have a baby of her own, and i'm confident that they'll be good parents' miss horlock, who lives in colchester, essex, with her partner of 16 years, paul, offered her services after being 'dumped' by another couple midway through a cycle of fertility drugs she approached the new couple on an internet surrogacy forum last monday and met them on friday night, before having the ivf treatment on saturday morning it will take up to two weeks before doctors know if either of the embryos has successfully embedded and she is pregnant she said: 'some people may think that what i'm doing is wrong, as i'd only met the couple in the flesh just 12 hours before having the ivf, but i don't believe it is at all 'ideally, i would have spent more time getting to know them there wouldn't normally be such a rush, but i'd been having this treatment for another couple who pulled out of the surrogacy with no real reason, which has left me devastated 'i didn't want to lose out on the chance to have another surrogate baby for a couple, as i'm now 48 years old and it seemed such a wasted opportunity when i could use my womb again to help others' miss horlock also boasted that the ivf clinicians told the couple, who haven't been identified, that their surrogate had 'the best uterus in the world' baby number five (left) was born in july 1999, followed by baby number six (right) in october 2000  miss horlock pictured with her daughter, megan, 21, she said having babies is 'addictive' baby number seven (left) was born in january 2002, followed by the arrival of baby eight (right) in april 2003  she has two daughters of her own, steffanie, 24, and megan, 21, and has given birth to 13 other children as a surrogate mother – including a set of twins and a set of triplets she last gave birth in april 2013 – to a boy weighing 9lb 14oz 'at the time i said he was going to be my last, but having babies is addictive,' she said yesterday 'the thought i could be pregnant again is incredibly exciting – it's the beginning of a journey with the couple which culminates in a magical moment when i give birth' if one or both of the embryos implant into her womb's lining, the baby – or babies – will be born by caesarean section, as with her last two pregnancies miss horlock, who also owns a £350,000, six bedroom farmhouse in bordeaux, said: 'i'll be 49 when i give birth, which is not so strange and well within the realms of getting pregnant naturally, let alone with ivf 'i love being pregnant, although i hope it is just one this time with two embryos there is a chance it could be twins and i really don't want to contemplate triplets or quads at my age – i've done triplets once and that was enough!' she followed the couple's story on the surrogacy forum for several months and said her 'heart went out to them' but that she was unable to help as she was already partnered with another couple when that fell through, it was 'almost fate' that she could step in – although she did not even know how old the mother to be was before agreeing to carry her baby the women spoke on the phone 'for up to six hours a day' last week before meeting up in athens – where the fertility clinic is based – on friday night 49 year old miss horlock said: 'i love being pregnant, although i hope it's just one this time' miss horlock gave births to twins in february 1997 and triplets in march 2008   she had other babies in march 1998, july 1999, october 2000, january 2002, april 2003, june 2004 and april 2013  miss horlock said the meeting was 'incredibly emotional' and after a steak dinner, they agreed to go ahead the embryos – which are biologically the couple's – were put into miss horlock's womb on saturday, and she flew home last night it is almost exactly 20 years since she became pregnant with her first child for another couple after reading a newspaper article about surrogacy she went on to have twins in february 1997, triplets in march 2008 and other babies in march 1998, july 1999, october 2000, january 2002, april 2003, june 2004 and april 2013 for each pregnancy, she is paid expenses of between £7,000 and £15,000 if she becomes pregnant this time, she plans to hand the baby straight to the couple after the birth they will then apply for a parental order – the first stage in them becoming its legal parents 'i will waive all my legal rights to the child,' said miss horlock
carole horlock horlock steffanie megan between £7,000 and £15,000
carole horlock, 49, is hoping to have a 16th and possibly 17th child . approached new couple on internet forum last monday and met on friday . she then had ivf treatment on saturday and is waiting to see if successful . miss horlock has two daughters of her own, steffanie, 24, and megan, 21 . given birth to 13 other children as surrogate mother   including triplets . for each pregnancy, she is paid expenses of between £7,000 and £15,000 . said having babies is 'addictive' and an 'incredibly exciting' journey 