New Zealand leader leaves hospital 3 days after giving birth
Jun 24, 2018
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford have named their baby daughter Neve and say they want her to grow up in a world in which she can make choices about her family and career based on what she wants
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and her partner have named their baby daughter Neve and say they want her to grow up in a world in which she can make choices about her family and career based on what she wants.
Ardern made her first public appearance on Sunday since giving birth to her daughter on Thursday.
She answered a few questions from reporters while holding her baby at Auckland City Hospital before she planned on returning home. She will take six weeks of leave before returning to work.
Ardern is just the second elected world leader to give birth while holding office. Many hope the 37-year-old will become a role model for combining motherhood with political leadership.
She said she and her partner, Clarke Gayford, struggled for months trying to choose a name and decided to wait until the baby was born to figure out which one fitted best. The baby's full name is Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford.
Ardern said Neve means "bright" and "radiant" as well as "snow," which was fitting because the baby was born on the Southern Hemisphere's winter solstice. Te Aroha means "love" in New Zealand's indigenous Maori language, and Ardern said that name reflected the amount of love and generosity that people had shown the couple even before the baby arrived.
She said she hoped that one day having a baby while leading a country would not be seen as a novelty.
"So I hope for little girls and boys that actually there's a future where they can make choices about how they raise their family and what kind of career they have that are based on what they want and what makes them happy," she said. "Simple."
She said that having a child would likely make her view the world differently and enhance political views that were already focused on children.
The last leader to give birth while holding office was late Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, who had Bakhtawar in 1990.
New Zealand's Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has taken over as the acting prime minister until Ardern returns to work.
Ardern said that while she is on leave, she will be finding her way as a new parent.
"We'll do what every other parent does and learn the little nuances of the way that Neve wants to work," she said. "And just figure things out as we go."
More News
The real pain from rising interest rates is yet to come
The number of borrowers who are behind on their mortgage payments is rising, and it’s likely to climb further as rate hikes bite.
Coalition threat to sink gas reform triggers rare industry backlash
A broad alliance of business chiefs and unions has mounted a last-minute push for the Coalition to pass Labor’s domestic gas-reservation laws.
A new fast-food giant is coming to Australia. Its unusual ingredients aren’t the only talking point
A new chain will enter Australia’s crowded fast-food chicken market after wowing Anthony Albanese at one of its Manila stores. We put some of its dishes to the test.
Wall Street’s wild Nvidia ride delivers big paydays and even bigger bruises
Investors are doubling down on speculative wagers that have delivered both spectacular gains and crushing losses this year.
Inside Boeing’s mission to rebuild trust in the 737 after years of turbulence
In the airline industry, attention to detail is everything. Boeing’s recovery is tied to reforms on its manufacturing floor in Washington.
Commercial childcare is hitting a brick wall. Who will pick up the pieces?
Australia’s largest childcare provider has signalled its intent to surrender to a lowball private equity bid as other for-profit providers collapse in record numbers.
‘I don’t care’: Inside Jensen Huang’s last hours as Nvidia CEO
At the end, Jensen Huang looked broken and shattered, his legendary energy depleted.
I worked part-time at David Jones. I know exactly why the business failed
Lift operators, bra fitters and lying sales assistants – I mourn you all.
How Elon Musk drove the Cybertruck and Tesla’s ambitions off a cliff
Elon Musk’s passion project crashed and burned. Its demise carries a lot of weight,
M.J. Bale axed its retail boss while she was on maternity leave. Now she’s fighting back
The Australian menswear retailer made its high-flying retail boss redundant days before her scheduled return from parental leave.
‘Either brave or mad’: A bastion of fine dining gets a sorely needed facelift
Rob and Tammy Charter had other ideas about how they wanted to spend post-work life. Like buying a heritage pub.
This Qantas jet was hit by lightning. It’s still grounded two weeks later
Pictures show the damage left by a lightning bolt, with charred areas of the skin and mesh exposed, on a plane that arrived in Melbourne from Los Angeles last month.