AUCKLAND: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave birth to a baby girl in an Auckland hospital on Thursday, becoming only the second world leader to do so while in office.

It was the first child for the 37-year-old and her 40-year-old partner Clarke Gayford, with the new arrival weighing in at 3.3 kilograms (7.3 pounds).

“I’m sure we’re going through all of the emotions new parents go through, but at the same time feeling so grateful for all the kindness and best wishes from so many people. Thank you,” Ardern said.

Benazir Bhutto was first woman to give birth while in office in 1990

She added on Instagram that the baby was healthy and doing well.

“We’re all doing really well thanks to the wonderful team at Auckland City Hospital.” Ardern and Gayford, who hosts a television fishing show, had known the sex of the baby for several months but decided to keep it secret from the public.

The charismatic Ardern follows prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 1990 as the only women in modern history to give birth while in power, but she downplayed the significance.

Ms Bhutto gave birth in January 1990 to her daughter Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari, who now describes herself on Twitter as the “1st child born to a sitting female Prime Minister”.

Bakhtawar tweeted “congratulations” to Ardern after the announcement, and shared a link to a news story on how Ms Bhutto showed it was possible to be a mother and a prime minister.

The birth capped an eventful year for Ardern who became prime minister last October, three months after inheriting the leadership of the Labour Party when it was languishing in the polls.

When no party won sufficient support in the election to form a government, she was anointed prime minister by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018