Jacinda Ardern's partner shares PM's emotional first moment with daughter
Jacinda Ardern’s partner has revealed the moment he saw the New Zealand prime minister hold their newborn baby daughter for the first time.
A beaming Ms Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford on Sunday greeted media for the first time since arriving at Auckland Hospital on Thursday, showing Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford to the world.
“I won’t forget the look on Jacinda’s face when she finally held the baby,” Gayford said.
“It was all a bit of a blur for the both of us but she had obviously been through so much and finally the moment had arrived, and she looked absolutely stunned and very, very happy.”
Ms Ardern said “the moment happened so quickly”.
“I think every new parent would probably reflect that,” she said.
“You want to cherish it but it happens very quickly.”
The prime minister added hospital staff were “very generous” in letting the couple hold on to little Neve before “whipping her away”.
“It was pretty special,” she added.
At the same press conference, the 37-year-old announced the baby would be called Neve Te Aroha Ardern Gayford, or Neve Gayford for short.
“Like everyone we went through the struggle for a matter of months and we kept a shortlist of names and wanted to wait until the baby arrived,” Ms Ardern said.
“We chose Neve because we just liked it. When we met her, we thought she looked like she suited the name.
“Also it means, in various forms, bright and radiant and snow, which seemed like a good combination for Matariki (Maori new year) and for solstice.”
Ms Ardern gave birth to Neve on Thursday.
