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Jacinda Ardern baby: New Zealand prime minister gives birth to a girl New Zealand's Jacinda Ardern welcomes baby girl 'to our village'
(about 5 hours later)
The New Zealand prime minister, Jacinda Ardern, has given birth to her first child amid a flurry of excitement in New Zealand. “Welcome to our village, wee one,” is how Jacinda Ardern announced the birth of her daughter to New Zealand, and the world.
Ardern posted the news to her Facebook page, saying her daughter was born at 4.45pm. The prime minister posted a photograph of her and partner Clarke Gayford cuddling their first child on her Facebook page late on Thursday afternoon (NZ time).
“Welcome to our village wee one,” she wrote, next to a picture of her and partner Clarke Gayford cuddling the newborn.
“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.”“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.”
Earlier, a statement from the prime minister’s office said Ardern and Gayford had arrived at Auckland hospital at 5.50am on Thursday. Ardern, 37, becomes only the second world leader to give birth while in office, the first being Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto in 1990 – with whom, coincidentally, Ardern’s daughter shares a birthday.
Winston Peters, the head populist New Zealand First party and deputy prime minister, is now acting prime minister. He had already taken over some of Ardern’s duties, including running cabinet meetings in Wellington, while she stayed close to home in Auckland. News of the birth was met with a flurry of excitement in New Zealand, the culmination of a nationwide “#babywatch” that began with the announcement of Ardern’s pregnancy in January and reached its peak on Sunday, which had been her due date.
After Ardern went into hospital, Peters said in a statement: “It’s a happy day and on behalf of the coalition government we wish her and Clarke all the very best.” Morgan Godfrey, a political commentator and writer, remarked on Ardern’s typically down-to-earth approach despite being under the global spotlight during the pregnancy.
The former prime minister Helen Clark told Radio NZ that the birth was a fine example to young people in New Zealand. “Jacinda Ardern arrived at hospital in her own car, with Clarke driving. No crown limo or special ambulance. Her baby was delivered in a public hospital alongside everyone else’s. No private hospital. No extra special attention. New Zealand, remain your understated self.”
“Jacinda’s done it her way, what a remarkable story. He added: “Three cheers for the public health system, too.”
“She’s taken it in her stride, New Zealanders have taken it in their stride … all round I think we’re showing huge maturity as a country with this.” Guy Williams, a television personality and comedian, spoke for many New Zealanders when he tweeted that it was a “proud day to be a Kiwi”. He added: “Anyone who claims this isn’t a historic moment for our country is dismissing the ingrained prejudice we all still have towards women in the workplace.”
US ambassador Scott Brown offered his congratulations via Twitter, as did a host of Ardern’s political colleagues. Winston Peters, the leader of the populist New Zealand First party and deputy prime minister, is now acting prime minister. He said after Ardern was admitted to hospital: “It’s a happy day and on behalf of the coalition government we wish her and Clarke all the very best.”
Wonderful news! Huge congrats to 🇳🇿 Prime Minister @jacindaardern and @NZClarke on the birth of their baby girl! A warm welcome to the world! Wishing the family health, happiness, and all joy in the world. Tēnā koe i tō tamāhine. Ngā mihi mahana. A host of Ardern’s Labour party colleagues shared their congratulations, as did the leader of the opposition National party, Simon Bridges, who wished the new parents “every happiness” on Twitter.
Oh my heart. So happy for and proud of my friend. You two will be the very best parents. Congrats!! @jacindaardern @NZClarke pic.twitter.com/FqVTOicmDk Ardern intends to take six weeks’ maternity leave before returning to work, with Gayford, a television presenter and “first bloke”, remaining at home. Gayford had himself announced that “our little girl has finally arrived” on Twitter, adding that both mother and baby were “healthy and happy”.
Congratulations @jacindaardern & @NZClarke 👶🏻♥️🙌🏼 pic.twitter.com/xK0LJwoTxR Helen Clark, the former Labour prime minister and former head of the UN Development Programme, wrote in a Guardian article that “the new arrival in our country’s first family” was significant, not only because Ardern was prime minister, but because she was not married, and Gayford would be the stay-at-home parent.
Ardern’s due date was Sunday and the country had been gripped by a sense of excitement and anticipation in recent days. On Thursday, many major media outlets set up live feeds on their websites with rolling coverage and local journalists camped at the hospital. “For young women, the example Ardern is setting is an affirmation that they too can expect to have that choice. For young men, Gayford being the full-time carer of a baby sends a powerful message that they too can exercise that choice,” Clark wrote.
Ardern has said there would be little disruption during her time off because she would stay in regular contact with Peters and be involved in major decisions. Ardern has said there will be little disruption during her time off; she will be in regular contact with Peters and involved in major decisions. She had previously said she planned to have labour induced if her pregnancy ran far beyond the due date.
Ardern, 37, is only the second world leader to give birth while in office – the first being Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto in 1990. Peters had already taken over some of her duties, including running cabinet meetings, before her last day in parliament earlier this week.
Ardern has said she will have six weeks’ maternity leave before heading back to parliament. Gayford, a television presenter, will become “first bloke” and a stay-at-home father to the child. But his refusal to repeal a controversial “three strikes” policy, and decision to sue heads of department of his own government, has sparked tension within the coalition. Bridges said on Radio New Zealand earlier this month that the issue had “underlined cracks” in the coalition. “We’ll see the power dynamics of that and who’s really in charge,” he said.
Ardern had her last pre-birth day in parliament at the start of the week. Her last public outing was at the national Fieldays agricultural show where many fans spent the time wishing her well, and some tried to touch her stomach. Reporters had been on high alert since Sunday, with many camped outside the hospital.
Many will be watching Peters closely while is acting prime minister – he has already backed away from a hallmark crime and justice policy and revealed he is suing heads of departments of his own government. The news website Stuff compiled the “prefect playlist” to welcome the infant. Titled “Waiting for Womb Fruit”, the playlist hedged its bets with the opener: Hey Boy Hey Girl by the Chemical Brothers.
New Zealand *Jacinda Ardern gives birth to her baby*Journalist (to baby); "How do you like New Zealand so far? Beautiful isn't it?"
The news and pop culture website the Spinoff began its own live blog – only in part a meta-commentary on the fervour – on Sunday afternoon with “There is no baby”, promising “further updates as they come to hand”.
After four days of minutiae, taking in the quality of hospital canteen scones and an extended reflection on whether babies were born with political bias (concluding that they are in fact “agents of chaos”), it culminated on Thursday with: “6:15pm: A baby!”
Hayden Donnell, a co-author of the blog, described it as “groundbreaking” and himself as “very tired”.
He said most New Zealanders were supportive of the baby, singling out for exception one media personality who had vocally dismissed its birth as “not a story”. “Obviously I disagree with that because I have been covering the story for four days. It’s a joyous moment for New Zealand, is the main point I want to make.”
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