The as-yet unnamed one day old baby is wrapped in a merino blanket gifted by Ngai Tahu CREDIT/ Clarke Gayford
The Prime Minister’s Office says Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s baby girl is at the moment “cutely” wrapped-up in a white blanket gifted by Ngai Tahu.
The blanket was draped over the PM’s shoulder in the picture she and partner Clarke Gayford released online to announce their newborn’s arrival last night.
The knitted shawl wrapped around baby in the same picture was knitted by Gayford’s mother, while baby’s hat was knitted by a member of the public.
A Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu spokesperson says the blanket, made of Merino wool, was commissioned by Ngai Tahu and gifted to the PM earlier this year when she and Deputy Labour Leader Kelvin Davis met with iwi representatives.
“At this meeting the Kaiwhakahaere, Lisa Tumahai, Deputy Kaiwhakahaere, Matapura Ellison and Chief Executive Officer, Arihia Bennett, gifted the Prime Minister elements of our Ngāi Tahu pēpi pack for her baby. The items gifted included: clothing, a muslin wrap, a merino blanket and a piece of pounamu.”
At 8pm last night Ardern was moved from the 9th floor to the 10th floor of Auckland Hospital’s maternity ward, which the hospital says is normal practice.
The Prime Minister’s Office says her room is no different from any other room on that floor but is slightly more private at the end of the hall.
At around 11am Friday Ardern received a private message from the Queen congratulating her on the arrival of her baby, which was received and passed on by her cabinet secretary.
The Prime Minister’s office says it has received other messages from around the world but Ardern was yet to read them all.
It is yet to be confirmed when Ardern would leave hospital but she will be staying for tonight.