Picture via Instagram
Being pregnant comes with a whole host of new issues we have to deal with (hello, swollen ankles!), but one thing most of us don't have to worry about is a whole country being fixated on our pregnancy.
Well, New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has certainly been dealing with this baby mania ever since she announced she's expecting on January 19. Her good news has even sparked a knitting movement!
As the first world leader to be pregnant while in office since 1990, it's no wonder eyes are on Jacinda. The 37-year-old definitely seems a bit stunned by all the attention.
"Certainly when I walk around and step outside my house … I get a few honks and hollers and everyone has been very warm," she told The Guardian.
This will be her and husband Clarke Gayford's first child. But the excitement isn't keeping the mum-to-be from performing her usual duties.
Since the joyful news broke, the PM has announced changes in employment laws to better working conditions, an inquiry into New Zealand's mental health system, the possibility of reviving the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
In short, just a typical week in the politician's office!
Jacinda plans on taking six weeks off when her baby is born in June, then getting back to work.
"I’m just pregnant, not incapacitated," Jacinda said in response to all the hype around her pregnancy, "Like everyone else who has found themselves pregnant before, I’m just keeping on going."
Despite the overall jubilant response to her pregnancy announcement, the PM is aware that some people are not as excited about the news.
"But again, I don’t take that to mean absolutely everyone in New Zealand is happy," she noted, after reflecting on the well-wishes she's received, "I’ve got work to do to prove that I can fulfil the responsibilities I have, and I absolutely intend to do that and so does the government."
We are so behind her! We are ready for Jacinda to prove any of her critics wrong.
