49-year-old Dang Thi Hai in Ha Dong District, Hanoi, has 14 children and calls them by number as it's easier to remember.

The 17-member family, including Hai's children, grandchildren and daughter-in-law, live in a 30-square-metre house in Co Ban Village. Hai has a total 14 children but lost a child to illness, and six of her children are still in primary and secondary schools.

Her husband died last year, and her oldest 28-year-old son has lung illness and weak health. Hai's daughter remarried and left her previous child in Hai's hands. Her youngest is only four years old. All of her children were born at home or on the road.

"I was too busy working to care about birth control. I only noticed that I was pregnant when it was close to the due date," she said.

Hai goes to the lake and field every day to catch fish and crabs for the daily meals. 

Her children also have to work on the field, take care of each other and study while cooking dinner. One of Hai's sons said he had to take advantage of the time his siblings playing outside to study or else there wouldn't be any place to put his notebooks.

Hai said she went to the field very early. She also works at noon to earn more money to buy the children books but it's the number of crabs or snails are decreasing.

Hai has often had headaches and felt dizzy but did not dare to go to hospital. She is afraid of having serious illness while the family has no money.

"My only wish is to be healthy, go to work every day to raise my grandchildren and my six children who are still in school. Then I can die," she said.

Some photos of life of Hai's family:

Dtinews