NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / New Zealand

Baby, burgers and flowers: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern celebrates pregnancy

By Ophelia Buckleton
Reporter·Herald on Sunday·
20 Jan, 2018 04:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Jacinda and Clarke sit down with Focus to discuss their pregnancy.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford celebrated their baby news with flowers from the dairy and takeaway burgers.

Ardern announced she was pregnant with her first child, due in June, on Friday.

The couple celebrated the big news in a very relaxed fashion.

"He bought me home a burger and some flowers from the dairy so that was lovely," Ardern told the Herald on Sunday adding "they were nice dairy flowers".

"It's only the second time Clarke has bought me flowers so it was actually quite a big deal."

And they weren't the only gifts. A box of donuts and a handmade card from a child offering name suggestions were among items dropped off at the Prime Minister's Auckland home yesterday.

Ardern was 19 weeks along as of yesterday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She discovered she was pregnant just six days before she became Prime Minister-elect. Winston Peters announced NZ First would form a coalition with Labour on October 19.

View this post on Instagram

And we thought 2017 was a big year! Clarke and I are really excited that in June our team will expand from two to three, and that we’ll be joining the many parents out there who wear two hats. I’ll be Prime Minister AND a mum, and Clarke will be “first man of fishing” and stay at home dad. I think it’s fair to say that this will be a wee one that a village will raise, but we couldn’t be more excited. I know there will be lots of questions, and we’ll answer all of them (I can assure you we have a plan all ready to go!) But for now, bring on 2018.

A post shared by Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern) on Jan 18, 2018 at 1:44pm PST

The country erupted in celebration when Ardern announced she was going to be "Prime Minister and a mum" on social media on Friday.

"We didn't know how it would be received and we talked about that a little bit…we wondered whether or not people would be happy or whether we would be criticised, we just genuinely didn't know. It's been really nice," said Ardern.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I've seen negative stuff as well but it's been outweighed by the positive so that's nice."

A number of well-wishers called Ardern a "role model" and "trailblazer" on social media, following the announcement.

"I saw some comments about being superwoman and I think sole parents are true superwomen and men.

"I've got lots of help and support around me and yes, I'm rare - that's because not many people have the privilege of doing this job - but I think there are plenty of people who are supermen and women every single day and particularly sole mums."

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford are expecting their first child in June. Photo/Doug Sherring
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford are expecting their first child in June. Photo/Doug Sherring

The couple haven't started baby shopping yet but Ardern said her mum had.

Discover more

New Zealand|politics

Watch: Ardern, Gayford discuss pregnancy in interview

19 Jan 07:24 AM
Opinion

New Zealand's prime minister is pregnant. The Internet reacted predictably

19 Jan 08:59 PM
New Zealand|politics

World media reacts to Ardern's pregnancy

20 Jan 01:00 AM
New Zealand|politics

Labour heads into three day caucus retreat

20 Jan 04:00 PM

"My mother is doing enough of that for five new parents.

"Our goal, as much as possible, is just to reuse...so many others do, why shouldn't we."

Ardern said Gayford's sisters had offered them some of their kid's hand me downs. She said they had also lined up some baby necessities including a highchair and bassinet.

A friend had messaged Arden to say they had bought the baby an infant's lifejacket – a gift that would no doubt come in handy for fishing mad and future stay-at-home-dad Gayford.

And, the couple's parents have been giving them some tips.

"Mum's great. She's one of these people that just gets stuck in and helps but also lets you find your own way. She's certainly wanting to make sure I look after myself but that's what mums do," said Ardern.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Gayford said his mum had been knitting the couple a shawl.

"But she has had to hold the secret so she's been hiding it whenever someone comes around," he said.

The pair know the baby's gender, but are keeping that to themselves. The baby will have Gayford's surname.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from New Zealand

New Zealand

Family returning to Napier to mourn loss of 11-year-old Mateo

26 Jun 02:35 AM
New Zealand

MetService Severe Weather Warning: June 26-28

New Zealand

Man in custody after five-hour armed police stand-off in Christchurch

26 Jun 02:04 AM

Kaibosh gets a clean-energy boost in the fight against food waste

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Family returning to Napier to mourn loss of 11-year-old Mateo

Family returning to Napier to mourn loss of 11-year-old Mateo

26 Jun 02:35 AM

Mateo Deveraturda died a fortnight after his flu-like symptoms deteriorated.

MetService Severe Weather Warning: June 26-28

MetService Severe Weather Warning: June 26-28

Man in custody after five-hour armed police stand-off in Christchurch

Man in custody after five-hour armed police stand-off in Christchurch

26 Jun 02:04 AM
Watch: ‘Heartbroken’ MPs pay tribute to Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp
live

Watch: ‘Heartbroken’ MPs pay tribute to Takutai Moana Natasha Kemp

26 Jun 01:57 AM
Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style
sponsored

Engage and explore one of the most remote places on Earth in comfort and style

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP