Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she's taking one day at at time, as her 17 June due date draws near.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will formally hand over to deputy prime minister Winston Peters once she goes into labour. Photo: VNP / Phil Smith
Ms Ardern intends to keep working right up until she goes into labour, and then will formally hand over to deputy prime minister Winston Peters.
But she said that apart from a visit down south to meet farmers affected by Mycoplasma bovis she had stayed pretty close to home.
"Southland was a bit of an exception, but I was surrounded by knowledgeable members of the farming community... When you've got the Rural Womens' Trust near you, you feel pretty secure," Ms Ardern said.
She was out in Northcote today, where Shanan Halbert is contesting the seat in the upcoming by-election for Labour.
Ms Ardern was asked when she intended to slow down.
"Ah yeah, that's a question that some of my family have been asking me.
"I do have a few more things that I'd like to get through ... but I am taking a bit of breather in between, but otherwise it's all manageable," she said.
She was at the point where the birth could happen any day.
"That's just a statement of fact... I haven't got any particular reason to know that or believe it, I'm just at the stage where it could," Ms Ardern said.