Sun shines for Miriama after baby battle

Miriama Kamo. Photo / Supplied

TVNZ presenter and occasional catwalk model Miriama Kamo has overcome a debilitating illness and a marathon labour to give birth to her first child.

The Sunday host gave birth to a girl at Auckland City Hospital on Wednesday, surrounded by family, including partner Mike Dreaver.

Kamo, 37, suffered a miscarriage in 2008 and feared she would never be able to have children after being diagnosed with endometriosis.

Her father Ray said she had been in labour for more than 24 hours after being admitted to hospital on Monday.

"There were a few hiccups with the labour but mother and child are both doing very well," he said.

Ray said Miriama was cognisant the whole time and asking questions.

Among the wellwishers at Kamo's Auckland home yesterday was her TVNZ colleague Mark Crysell.

Crysell tweeted: "Our beautiful best friends Miriama & Mikey had a wee baby girl last night - after a cold, cruel year, finally, the sun is starting to shine."

Dreaver has a child, Sam, from a previous relationship.

Pippa Wetzell will continue to fill in for Kamo while she is on maternity leave.

Kamo plans to be back at work quickly. She is a contractor at TVNZ and is paid on a freelance basis.

Fellow TVNZ presenter Sonya Wilson, who replaced Kamo to front TV2 current affairs show 20/20, has also become a mother for the first time after giving birth to son Arthur in June. She will return to work in September.

Thanks to her baby daughter's arrival, Kamo will not be repeating her talk-of-the-town turn on the NZ Fashion Week catwalk this year - and hers is not the only Fashion Week absence. Fashion designer Cybele Wiren will also miss Fashion Week, after giving birth to a daughter, Odessa.