No more babies for Debra after eight Caesareans

10:31am Wednesday 12th September 2007

A TAUNTON woman warned not to have any more children after giving birth at 17 defied medical advice by giving birth eight times in 22 years.

All Debra Hicks' babies had to be born by Caesarean section because her pelvis is so small.

But Mrs Hicks, 40, whose amazing story appeared in a national newspaper this week, will not be adding to her family - she had a hysterectomy after the premature birth of her youngest, Ashton, in April.

She said she had ignored doctors because of her "maternal instinct" to have her five daughters and three sons, the oldest of whom is 22 - three with her first partner, two with her second and three with her husband, Ian.

Mrs Hicks told the newspaper: "I never wanted to be an only child like I was and from a young age I said I would have lots of children.

"Despite all the problems and warnings, I've carried on having babies.

"No-one seems to know if eight (Caesareans) is a record."

Although she won't be having any more babies, Mrs Hicks plans to return soon to the maternity unit at Taunton's Musgrove Park Hospital, where seven of her children were born - she is a ward assistant there.