New Zealand politician Julie Anne Genter in labor, cycles to hospital to give birth

You can map out a plan for the delivery of your baby but circumstances can throw a wrench in your plans and that's what happened to a New Zealand MP. Julie Anne Genter, 41, cycled to the hospital while in labor to give birth within an hour of reaching the hospital. "I genuinely wasn't planning to cycle in labor, but it did end up happening," wrote Julie Anne Genter later on Facebook. Genter, who's the Green party's spokesperson for transport, delivered the baby a day after completing ten years as an MP. 

"My contractions weren’t that bad when we left at 2 am to go to the hospital — though they were 2-3 minutes apart and picking up in intensity by the time we arrived 10 minutes later. And amazingly now we have a healthy, happy little one," she wrote on Facebook. She confirmed the delivery went smoothly. "Feeling blessed to have had excellent care and support from a great team, in what turned out to be a very fast (and happily uncomplicated) birth," she wrote. "Cycling probably helped your labor immensely. Sped things up," wrote one person in the comments. "Having to sit in the back of a car while in labor (the ‘normal’ way), trying to keep my seatbelt on and wishing I could move around, was pretty much the worst part. You’re awesome Julie Anne!" commented another.

Genter is also an avid cyclist and has also spoken out multiple times for the safety of cyclists. She recently hit out at a statement from a man that he felt like running her over when they saw her cycling. "When you’re getting around the city by bike, or you want your kids to be able to cycle or scoot, the very real physical threat of motor vehicles is a constant worry. That’s why we advocate for separate cycleways, so people (especially kids) can be free to get around our communities without a car," wrote on Facebook. "So it is really incomprehensible to me that anyone should think it’s a funny or harmless joke to post about wanting to hit someone on a bike with their car. It’s not harmless — it is disturbing and it normalizes disrespect and violence towards people on bikes." She's also been vocal about climate change. "We are in a climate crisis and urgently need to work with our communities to provide ways of getting around safely without a car," she wrote.

It's also not the first time Genter has done it. in 2018, she cycled to the hospital to have her first child. "It was a beautiful day and we had three family members with us, but our car only seated four, so it was totally doable on an e-bike," she said at the time, reported New Zealand Herald. "I posted about it on Instagram for my friends and followers. I never expected it to be a headline here, let alone around the world!"

New Zealand politicians are certainly are made from a different mold. In 2018, New Zealand Prime Minister made history by becoming the first world leader to attend the United Nations General Assembly meeting with her baby. Ardern arrived with her then-three-month-old daughter Neve for the meeting and played with her before giving a speech at the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, reported The Guardian. Ardern’s partner Clarke Gayford held the three-month-old baby on his lap while she gave her speech. When asked about juggling parenthood and the prime ministership, she replied it had “met my expectations.” Gayford later shared an image of Neve's security pass which reads "first baby." He then wrote, “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).”