She was told she couldn't have kids. Then she had 5 babies in 27 months.

To these parents, we salute you.

Some women take 27 months to plan their weddings. Others extend their gap years to 27 months of sleeping in slightly mouldy backpackers throughout Europe and Asia.

I knew someone who worked for 27 months as a nanny to Hollywood royalty. (She now hides out in the hills of tropical Queensland, recovering from the ordeal).

But for this young Mum 27 months was the space in which she managed to have five babies. 5 kids. 27 months. Boggles the brain doesn’t it?

Zoe Lister has had two sets of twins and another baby in this tiny space of time. Now she has got to be the ultimate super-Mum. Amazingly Zoe – who herself is just 21 years old herself– once thought she wouldn’t be able to even have kids.

The young Mum from Leeds in the UK had tests a year into her relationship with partner Sean that showed she wasn’t ovulating properly. She told Reveal Magazine she was devastated.

"Sean already had a child from a previous relationship and I knew he wanted more. We'd already spoken about having a baby so I felt like a complete failure. At home, I threw away my contraceptive pill. It seemed pointless, just a painful reminder of what I couldn't have."

Life showed Zoe just how many ups and downs it can throw at you though – with her first pregnancy ending in a miscarriage the day after she performed her test. She was devastated, but determined to try again and eight weeks later saw the tell tale two lines on her pregnancy test.

It was twins - non-identical twin boys Layton and Logan were born to a delighted Zoe and Sean in April 2012. “Having two babies was hectic but I loved every minute. Within days, I couldn't imagine being without them," she said.

Zoe didn’t quite know what hectic was yet. Only two months later she was pregnant again. She told Reveal that being pregnant while looking after newborn twins was a tough time.

"I felt like a zombie getting up in the middle of the night to do feeds. By the time I went into labour, I was more than ready to meet our new addition."

Lewis – born 11 months after the twins – and Zoe’s third boy was a healthy addition to this blooming family. They decided their family was complete and Zoe had the contraceptive injection. But fate took over and a mere eight months later she felt the nauseous signs of pregnancy, again.

“I was hoping I was being paranoid because I'd had the contraceptive injection. So I was horrified when a pregnancy test was positive. I had no idea how we were going to cope. Sean and I even discussed not having the baby.”

The young couple decided to go ahead with the pregnancy. Can you imagine what it must have felt like to then find out that yet again Zoe was expecting twins?

"I swung from being thrilled to terrified. I couldn't imagine having another two babies but at 18 weeks, we discovered we were having identical girls."

On 9 July 2014 just over two years after twins Logan and Layton were born Lacey-May and Layla-Rose made their appearance. Zoe says that while life is hectic but they have quickly settled into a routine.

"The first few nights at home were manic, but it quickly became easier. Sean would dress the boys and take them to nursery three days a week while I cleaned, cooked and looked after the girls.

"Now we're in a routine. We all eat at the same time and I've become an expert at changing nappies as the girls can each go through 12 a day! The boys are sleeping through the night and the girls only get up twice so it's getting easier."

With all five kids in nappies and three soon to be boisterous boys chasing around their little sisters it’s a household most of us can not even imagine but Zoe takes it in her stride. "It can be exhausting and stressful but I never thought I'd be a mum, so having five children is such a blessing."

We salute you Zoe, and wish you the very best for your beautiful family.

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