Her first five children were born in 2013, 2014, 2017, 2020 and 2025, while the youngest three arrived as natural triplets later in 2025.

Since the birth of the triplets, Thao says her daily routine has become unpredictable, shaped entirely by the needs of her children.

“If the babies are calm, I might get to lie down around midnight. If they cry a lot, I sometimes cannot sleep until one or two in the morning. But every day at 5:30am I wake up to get the older children ready for school,” she said.

Compared with caring for one newborn at a time in the past, looking after three babies simultaneously has been far more exhausting.

“I’ve become used to eating while standing and sleeping while sitting,” she said with a smile.

Thao and her husband, Tran Van Sinh, 37, married in 2012. For many years the couple worked in Ho Chi Minh City to earn a living.

In 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted work in the city, the family returned to their hometown. They used their savings to buy a container truck so Sinh could become a long-distance driver.

He now transports goods along routes stretching from north to south and across border gates.

“Whenever he has time, he returns home to visit the children. Even when he is far away, he always calls to check on us,” Thao said.

Her first five pregnancies were healthy and each child was delivered naturally. During those years, both her mother and mother-in-law took turns helping care for the newborns.

During her sixth pregnancy, however, doctors initially told her she was carrying twins after a routine ultrasound.

The news brought both excitement and concern to the family, who began preparing baby items in pairs while Thao attended regular check-ups to monitor the babies’ development.

At 33 weeks of pregnancy, she suddenly went into labour and doctors decided to perform an emergency caesarean section because her cervix was dilating rapidly.

During the surgery, the medical team discovered something unexpected: Thao was not carrying twins but triplets.

Two of the babies weighed 2.1kg each, while the third weighed 2kg.

“When I regained full awareness, the doctors explained that two of the babies were identical twins positioned in a way that made them difficult to detect during ultrasound scans,” Thao recalled.

According to the doctors, the case was quite rare, but fortunately all four mother and children were healthy.

When the triplets were born, her husband was working far from home. After hearing the news from relatives, he quickly arranged to return to see his wife and newborn children.

The recovery period after surgery was particularly difficult for Thao. It was her first caesarean delivery, making the pain far greater than during her previous natural births.

Although concerned for his wife, Sinh could not remain at home for long as he is the family’s main breadwinner.

He encouraged Thao to take care of her health while he continued working to support the family.

Fortunately, both sides of the family live nearby and frequently help with childcare.

Her 60-year-old mother-in-law often stays overnight to help prepare milk and care for the babies.

“I grew up in a family with seven siblings,” Thao said. “We were not wealthy, but we always loved and supported one another. When we grew up, we looked after our parents together. It was very warm and close-knit. That is one reason I like having many children.”

Even though the triplets are generally calm, Thao admits that caring for eight children at once can feel like a daily battle.

In the centre of the house, three hammocks are tied in a triangular arrangement so she can easily attend to the babies.

At night, if one baby wakes and cries, the other two quickly follow, creating a chorus that often wakes the older children as well.

Yet over the past six months, the five older siblings seem to have grown up quickly.

After school, the three eldest boys, aged 13, 12 and 9, help cook meals, sweep the house, hold their younger brothers and assist their mother with small online sales.

The fourth child, a six-year-old boy, has already learned to mix milk and gently rock the hammocks for the babies. The fifth child, a young girl, quickly calls for adults whenever the babies cry.

“The thing I fear most is when the children get sick,” Thao said.

There have been nights when several children coughed at once, leaving her overwhelmed and in tears.

But she always reminds herself to stay strong for her family, knowing that even though her husband is often away, he continues working tirelessly so their children can have a better life.

Grandparents, uncles and aunts frequently visit to help the family. As the babies grow stronger, Thao has also found more time to sell products online from home.

She estimates that the family’s monthly living expenses reach around VND30 million, with roughly one-third of that amount spent on caring for the triplets.

“Raising eight children is not easy, but my husband and I always try to treat them fairly,” she said.

“As long as the children stay healthy, seeing all eight of them playing together every day makes me happy.”

During the recent Lunar New Year holiday, she bought new clothes and shoes for the children.

The younger babies meant the older ones could not travel much, but when their father returned home on the first day of the holiday, the children were overjoyed and filled the house with laughter.

In recent days, the family’s story has spread widely on social media, attracting both admiration and criticism. Some commenters argued that having so many children is too demanding and questioned whether the mother was sacrificing her own wellbeing.

Looking at the triplets sleeping peacefully in their hammocks, Thao simply smiled.

“Children are blessings from heaven,” she said.

“No matter what people say, my husband and I feel lucky to have them in our lives. Since we brought them into the world, it is our responsibility to give them the best life we can.”

The couple has also decided that eight children will be enough, and they now plan to focus on raising them well.

Linh Trang