New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Welcomes Baby Girl

The world of international politics just got a lot cuter. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern welcomed a baby girl on Thursday, making her the second elected head of government to give birth while in office — following the late Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto. 

Ardern and her partner, Clarke Gayford, shared the exciting news Thursday on Instagram. 

"Welcome to our village wee one," she captioned the darling first family photo. "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."

Ardern announced her pregnancy back in January and, because people can be quite archaic and awful, has faced a lot of backlash from people who feared she couldn’t balance running a country and raising a child. 

"I am not the first woman to multitask. I am not the first woman to work and have a baby," she responded during a news conference at the time. "We are going to make this work, and New Zealand is going to help us raise our first child." 

Funny how people rarely seem to criticize male world leaders for having small children while in office, such as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who has three kids, the youngest of which is only 4 years old. Ardern, who is New Zealand’s youngest prime minister in more than a century at the age 37, is no stranger to unfair bias. Still, she hasn’t allowed criticism to keep her from doing what she feels is best for her country and her family, even if that means admitting she doesn’t have all the answers.

Earlier this year, The Australian reported that Ardern asked another politician who entered office with kids, former President Barack Obama, how he dealt with feelings of guilt while juggling his duties as a parent and a leader. In true Obama fashion, his advice was practical and to the point. 

"His insights were the same as I’m sure any parent would probably give me: that you do your best," Ardern told reporters. And we know she will.

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