'I gave birth to twins in my fifties'

Age is just a number for Caroline Morgan, 53, who is inspiring others to follow their dreams later in life

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comfortable" as a mum to toddlers

The moment she fell in love, Caroline Morgan naturally started thinking about having a family.

But she was already 44 when she started dating Richard Burnett and feared it may never happen.

She met fellow music-loving northerner Richard, who was then 50, online while she was working for the BBC in London. And as they were both bright and healthy, they saw no reason not to become parents.

The couple, who moved to South Derbyshire a few years ago, failed to conceive naturally and, discovering that their IVF options were limited on the NHS, decided to go privately, including to Spain, where fertility treatment is cheaper and clinics have an excellent reputation.

Five IVF cycles failed, bringing heartbreak. But on their sixth, when Caroline was 50 and company CEO Richard was 57, she discovered she was pregnant. And that wasn't all.

Caroline, now 53, says: "I went to the stenographers and they said, 'Do you realise you've got two babies?'"

But her joy was mixed with anxiety as she knew this might be her last chance. She says: "I was so scared of losing the babies so I was having scans every week. I was nervous about my bump and didn't want anyone to come near me. I was huge."

'Everything I do now, I do for my kids'

Carrying twins at 50 made Caroline's a high-risk pregnancy, as she was more likely to experience serious complications such as pre-eclampsia or gestational diabetes than younger women. And she admits the doctors scared her and she felt judged at antenatal appointments due to her age.