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New Zealand's Ardern first leader to give birth in office since 1990

By Susan McFarland
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford share a photo of their baby girl born Thursday, making Adern just the second world leader to give birth while in office. Photo courtesy Jacinda Adern/Instagram
New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford share a photo of their baby girl born Thursday, making Adern just the second world leader to give birth while in office. Photo courtesy Jacinda Adern/Instagram

June 21 (UPI) -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave birth Thursday to a baby girl -- becoming the second world leader to give birth while in office, and the first in more than a quarter-century.

Adern, 37, posted a photo online of the child, her first, with partner Clarke Gayford.

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"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 post read.

New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters took over as acting prime minister, but Adern has said she will remain active during her six weeks of maternity leave.

Adern, elected in October, announced in January she was expecting a child.

Adern is just the second world leader to give birth while in office. The first was Benazir Bhutto, the late former Prime Minister of Pakistan, in 1990.

Ardern, New Zealand's youngest prime minister since 1856, shared her thoughts about motherhood during an interview with Radio New Zealand.

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"I am not the first woman to multi-task. I am not the first woman to work and have a baby; there are many women who have done this before," she said.

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