As mothers, the majority of the time we can't put our work commitments on pause because we are parents.
However, New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, has rewritten the rule book earlier this week.
Jacinda was the first female leader to bring her newborn to a United Nations (UN) general assembly meeting.
Making history, the Prime Minister and her daughter, Neve Te Aroha attended the event on Monday evening.
The mum-of-one is breastfeeding the tot, so they had little choice but to bring her along on the six-day New York trip.
The 38-year-old delivered a speech at the Nelson Mandela peace summit, whilst her partner Clarke Gayford minded their three-month-old.
The couple welcomed their daughter on June 21, and Jacinda hit headlines for only taking six weeks of maternity leave.
#UN debut - Neve Te Aroha, 3-month-old daughter of #NewZealand PM @jacindaardern and @NZClarke, appeared in #UNGA hall when her mother spoke at the #MandelaPeaceSummit.
— Michelle Nichols (@michellenichols) September 24, 2018
Ardern is only second elected leader to give birth while in office, after #Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto in 1990. pic.twitter.com/gNUv96LMao
The Prime Minister was questioned by the US Today Show about which was more challenging: governing New Zealand or enduring a 17-hour flight with her newborn?
The mum gave a laugh and said "it felt at the time on par," and added that she had apologised in advance to passengers sitting around her.
The 38-year-old also revealed that balancing parenting and leadership had “met my expectations”, but like all parents, the joy she felt when Neve arrived “had far surpassed my expectations”.
Adorably, the newborn's father, Clarke Gayford tweeted a picture of Neve's security pass at the UN meeting.
Because everyone on twitter's been asking to see Neve's UN id, staff here whipped one up.
— Clarke Gayford (@NZClarke) September 24, 2018
I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change.
Great yarn for her 21st. pic.twitter.com/838BI96VYX
The caption read: “Because everyone on twitter's been asking to see Neve's UN ID, the staff here whipped one up."
"I wish I could have captured the startled look on a Japanese delegation inside UN yesterday who walked into a meeting room in the middle of a nappy change. Great yarn for her 21st [birthday]."
The new dad was the official caretaker of little Neve during the trip to New York.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the exceptional circumstances which allow her to govern New Zealand and be a mother.
She has regularly voiced her hope that this will become the norm one day for all working mums.
“If I can do one thing, and that is change the way we think about these things, then I will be pleased we have achieved something.”
