We look back over some of the most significant moments: August 2, 2017: Pre-election: Jacinda Ardern defends women in the workplace This is technically unrelated but worthy of a mention. One month before finding out she was pregnant and in the lead-up to the election, Jacinda Ardern told off The AM Show host Mark Richardson for saying prospective employers had a right to ask about a woman's baby plans. She snapped and gave him an aggressive finger point, telling him it was "totally unacceptable in 2017" to expect women to have to answer that question.<doc-sep>Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern is expecting her first child in June. Ms Ardern says partner Clarke Gayford will stay home as the primary caregiver. "We're both really happy. We wanted a family, but weren't sure it would happen for us, which has made this news unexpected but exciting. "Yesterday, I met with Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters to share the news and to ask him to take on the role of Acting Prime Minister for a period of six weeks, after our baby is born."<doc-sep>Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Loretta Lynch arrives for a news conference to announce money laundering charges against HSBC on December 11, 2012 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. HSBC Holdings plc and HSBC USA NA have agreed to pay $1.92 billion and enter into a deferred prosecution agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice in regards to charges involving money laundering with Mexican drug cartels. Is the United States falling behind in women's rights? Kyung Lah profiles Dr Kim Schreier and Former CIA analyst Elissa Slotkin -- who decided to leave their day jobs and run for office, unappy with the path Washington has taken Chelsea Clinton (R) listens as Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton speaks during a town hall meeting October 4, 2016 in Haverford, Pennsylvania. / AFP / Brendan Smialowski (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images) First Daughter and Advisor to the US President Ivanka Trump attends the start of a panel discussion at the W20 women's empowerment summit sponsored by the Group of 20 major economic powers on April 25, 2017 in Berlin. On her first official trip as presidential adviser, Ivanka Trump appeared on a panel with high-powered guests, also including IMF chief Christine Lagarde and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, on Women's Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship. / AFP PHOTO / Odd ANDERSEN (Photo credit should read ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images) The Capitol dome is seen early on the morning of the dress rehearsal for the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, January 15, 2017 in Washington, DC. Is there less sexism in politics? Democratic candidate Rashida Tlaib is running for Us Congress in Michigan's 13th congressional district This ex-MMA fighter could be in Congress She would have been America's first black female governor (2018) AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - AUGUST 06: Jacinda Ardern thanks her supporters ahead of announcing Labour's Auckland Transport Plan on August 6, 2017 in Auckland, New Zealand. Jacinda Ardern was elected unopposed as new Labour leader on Tuesday, 1 August following Andrew Little's resignation just seven weeks out from the general election. Kelvin Davis was elected as deputy leader. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images) (CNN) — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave birth to a baby girl Thursday, the first world leader in nearly 30 years to have a child while in office. In a post on her official Instagram account, Ardern said the baby arrived at 4.45 pm local time, weight 3.31 kilograms (7.3 pounds). “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,” she said in her post. Admitted to the hospital earlier in the day, Ardern’s expected due date had been June 17. Excitement and anticipation had been building over the last few days, with many media outlets setting up live blogs to track the latest developments. Jessie Chiang, a New Zealand Radio reporter, tweeted that she and other journalists had been at the hospital since 6 a.m. “No baby yet…but they are feeding the media,” she wrote. No baby yet...but they are feeding the media 😀 pic.twitter.com/864J1oqPzF — Jessie Chiang (@je_chiang) June 21, 2018 Another outlet even put together a baby-themed playlist to “help bring her bub into the world.” New Zealanders also speculated over the baby’s gender and name. One Twitter user joked on Thursday, “If it’s a boy I’m going with Winston Michael Joseph Peter Norman David David David Phillip Andrew Gayford Ardern.” However, the baby has a higher chance of being named Oliver or Jack – the two most common baby boy names of 2017. If it’s a girl, it might be Charlotte or Harper, the most common girl names. If it's a boy I'm going with Winston Michael Joseph Peter Norman David David David Phillip Andrew Gayford Ardern. #babywatch — Dave Armstrong (@malosilima) June 20, 2018 Maternity shop Baby Belly also joined the fun, tweeting, “Let us know your pick for either a boy or girl & the weight and the closest guess will win a $50 voucher to spend with us! !” Twitter users were quick to point out that if born on Thursday, the baby would share a birthday with Prince William and former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who was the first and (until now) only leader to have a baby while in office, in 1990. Bhutto’s daughter, Bakhtawar Bhutto, issued congratulations to Ardern via Twitter. “Congratulations to Prime Minister @jacindaardern on the wonderful news,” she wrote. Congratulations to Prime Minister @jacindaardern on the wonderful news 🤗 — Bakhtawar B-Zardari (@BakhtawarBZ) January 19, 2018 The 37-year-old prime minister, who was elected in October, announced her pregnancy in January via Instagram. “Clarke and I are really excited that in June our team will expand from two to three, and that we’ll be joining the many parents out there who wear two hats,” Ardern said in the post. Her partner, Clarke Gayford, hosts a fishing documentary series, but will give that up to be a stay-at-home dad. Ardern has fielded several questions about whether she wanted children, but has told media outlets that she should not have to respond to such an inquiry. “I totally accept that I will be asked that question because I chose to be honest about it,” Ardern said on “The AM Show,” a New Zealand radio program. “I think a lot of women face this dilemma in the workplace, no matter what their profession or job might be.” In an interview with Radio New Zealand, she said, “I am not the first woman to multitask. I am not the first woman to work and have a baby; there are many women who have done this before.” Ardern became her party’s youngest leader and New Zealand’s youngest in 150 years after defeating former Prime Minister Bill English in last October’s election. It marked the first victory for the Labour Party in nine years. She led the group for three months before being elected Prime Minister. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters will fill in for Ardern while she is on parental leave for six weeks. CNN’s Jessie Yeung contributed to this report.<doc-sep>That daughter, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, congratulated Ms. Ardern on Twitter on Thursday. In the 28 years since Ms. Zardari’s birth, several women earned their way into their country’s executive mansions and offices, but none spent time in the delivery room while in power. While news reports at the time of Ms. Bhutto’s delivery said Pakistanis sang and danced in the streets with joy, she also faced criticism for having a second child. Opposition leaders said that “the country would be leaderless while she was hospitalized,” The New York Times reported at the time. “There is no easygoing ‘mommy track’ for heads of state,” The Times wrote in 1990 about Ms. Bhutto’s uphill political battle. Ms. Bhutto, who temporarily transferred power to her mother, the lawmaker Nusrat Bhutto, while in labor, announced that she was “back on the job” one day after her delivery. Years after serving a second term as Pakistan’s prime minister, Ms. Bhutto was assassinated in 2007. (Trivia buffs might want to note that Ms. Ardern’s baby was born on Ms. Bhutto’s birthday.) In the United States, several politicians have made headlines for their pregnancies in recent years, including Sarah Palin, who as governor of Alaska delivered a baby in 2008, and Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, whose pregnancy this year prompted the Senate to change its rules about allowing babies and breast-feeding in the chamber. The American ambassador to New Zealand, Scott Brown, on Thursday congratulated Ms. Ardern both in English and in Maori, New Zealand’s indigenous language. “Tēnā koe i tō tamāhine. Ngā mihi mahana,” he said on Twitter (it means “Congratulations on the arrival of your new daughter, and best wishes”).<doc-sep>
Send this page to someone via email New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern arrived Thursday at Auckland Hospital as she prepared to give birth to her first child. The 37-year-old Ardern would become just the second elected world leader in modern times to give birth while in office, after the late Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto gave birth to daughter Bakhtawar in 1990. WATCH: New Zealand Prime Minister announces pregnancy, due in June 2:12 New Zealand Prime Minister announces pregnancy, due in June New Zealand Prime Minister announces pregnancy, due in June – Jan 19, 2018 Ardern’s due date was June 17. The birth has been highly anticipated in the South Pacific nation of nearly 5 million people. She has not said whether she’s expecting a boy or a girl. Story continues below advertisement Ardern’s office confirmed she had arrived at the hospital with partner Clarke Gayford. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has taken over as acting prime minister. Ardern plans to take a six-week leave before returning to work. Under the arrangement, Ardern will still be consulted on major decisions, including issues of national security. Ardern has said she is confident the government will continue to run smoothly in her absence. She said she hoped to be “sharing the good news” in an announcement but also to have some quiet time to enjoy as a family. Asked earlier this month how the couple had been faring while trying to choose a name, Ardern responded: “Terribly. Do you have any suggestions?”