JOYFUL mother Stephanie Woosey today spoke of the moment when IVF gave her the three children she had almost given up hope of having.

But today the proud mum backed calls for a limit to be put on the number of embryos used in each fertility treatment after admitting she had endured a difficult pregnancy.

Stephanie, 35, and husband Robert were given the Christmas present they had only dreamed of when doctors finally told them she was pregnant on December 22 last year. And not only was Stephanie pregnant. She was going to have triplets!

Jessica, Joe and James Woosey were born by Caesarean section at Blackburn's Queens Park Hospital on July 3 -- and became the first triplets to be born there in three years.

The odds of having triplets are 3000-1 while the IVF department at St James Hospital in Leeds -- where Stephanie received her treatment -- said of the 200 people who give birth each year, only "three or four" have triplets. Stephanie, who is originally from Darwen but now lives near Botany Bay in Chorley, spoke of her delight at the babies she called her "three miracles." And she backed the recent decision by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to cut down on the number of embryos used in fertility treatment. Currently three embryos are used -- as in Stephanie's case -- although that could be cut to two.

Stephanie, a former receptionist at the Dunkenhalgh Hotel, in Clayton-le-Moors, said: "I think it would probably be right. I was very uncomfortable."

But she said it was worth all the hard work. She said: "They are exceptionally special. One baby would have been good, two would have been great but triplets is superb."

Stephanie and Robert had been trying to start a family for a couple of years before they underwent the treatment on the NHS. The first attempt in February last year failed and Stephanie admitted she feared her hopes of being a mother were dashed.

She said: "I come from a big family and I thought I was always destined to be an auntie."

The couple decided to delay their second attempt until after their wedding last September. In October three embryos were implanted and Stephanie was told she would have a 40 per cent chance of any of them working. Amazingly they all did.

She said: "We went back to the hospital in December to be told I was pregnant. I had a scan on January 11 and was told it was triplets. Robert almost fell off his chair." The babies, which became the 12th grandchildren of Fred and Audrey Wearing, of Ellison Fold Terrace, Darwen, were born eight weeks early. Jessica weighed 3lb 7oz, Joe was 2lb 15 and James 3lb 6-and-half.

They were immediately rushed to the Special Care Baby Unit where they still remain but Stephanie hopes she they will be allowed to go home soon.