Congratulations are in order for New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who just welcomed her first child – a healthy baby girl.
Ardern announced the arrival via Instagram, writing, “Welcome to our village wee one. Feeling very lucky to have a healthy baby girl that arrived at 4.45pm weighing 3.31kg (7.3lb) Thank you so much for your best wishes and your kindness. We’re all doing really well thanks to the wonderful team at Auckland City Hospital.”
The 37-year old was admitted to hospital in Auckland on June 21 at 5:50am, before handing over the reigns of her government to deputy Prime Minister, Winston Peters.
Ardern’s initial pregnancy news, which came just two months after she was elected into office, was met with a mixture of shock and awe, though she admits she had to contend with a significant amount of judgment as well.
“All I can do, really, is give people reassurance that it won’t [affect the job],” Ardern told marie claire exclusively earlier this year. “But I know I’m going to have to prove it.”
The Prime Minister also revealed it hadn’t been easy for her to fall pregnant in the first place, saying, “The fact that we knew we had issues was what made it such a surprise.”
Ardern is now on six weeks of maternity leave before her partner, TV presenter and media personality Clarke Gayford, takes over as a stay-at-home-parent (or “first bloke” as he refers to it).
“While the couple are happy to share with the public some moments with their new baby they ask that media respect the family’s privacy in the weeks set aside to be together after the birth, and during private family moments,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s office said.
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