New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern Welcomes Baby Girl With Partner Clarke Gayford

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gave birth to a baby girl Thursday, making her the second serving world leader in history to do so.

Jacinda and partner Clarke Gayford announced the news on Instagram around 6 p.m. local time (2 a.m. EDT).

“Welcome to our village wee one. 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,” Jacinda posted.

“The Prime Minister's Office can confirm that Jacinda Ardern has given birth to a healthy baby girl. The baby was born at 4.45pm Tuesday June 21 2018 at Auckland Public Hospital. She weighs 3.31 kgs,” her office said in a statement, Television New Zealand reported.

“The child is the first for Jacinda Ardern and her partner Clarke Gayford,” the statement said, adding the trio would spend the night together and would not be appearing in public until Friday.

"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, Television New Zealand reported.

Ardern and Gayford arrived at Auckland hospital at 5.50 a.m. (1.50 p.m. EDT) on Thursday and the birth took place around 4.45 p.m. local time (12.45 p.m. EDT).

The prime minister will take six weeks of maternity leave and has passed on her duties to Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters.

“It’s a happy day and on behalf of the coalition government we wish her and Clarke all the very best,” Peters said after Ardern went into hospital, the Guardian reported.

Several leaders and diplomats took to Twitter to congratulate the couple.

“Wonderful news! Huge congrats to Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford on the birth of their baby girl! A warm welcome to the world! Wishing the family health, happiness, and all joy in the world. Tēnā koe i tō tamāhine. Ngā mihi mahana,” Scott Brown, US ambassador to New Zealand tweeted.

“Congratulations to Jacinda Ardern & Clarke Gayford on the birth of their daughter today. What a proud day for Jacinda & Clarke & for us all. New life, new hope. Parenting arrangements are gender equality in action. This is 21st C NZ,” former Prime Minister Helen Clark tweeted.

“Congratulations Jacinda Ardern on your wonderful news today. When we spoke this morning you sounded more excited than you did when you won the election! Lots of love and best wishes from me and Lucy and all of us across the ditch,” Malcolm Turnbull, Prime Minister of Australia tweeted.

Ardern, 37, announced her pregnancy in January.

"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," she had said in an interview with Radio New Zealand, BBC reported.

The only other prime minister to have given birth while being in office was former Pakistan leader Benazir Bhutto. She gave birth to daughter Bakhtawar on Jan. 25, 1990.