Shorty star Ngahuia ‘I FEEL LIKE SUPER-MUM!'

After giving birth to her second child, the actress reveals what it was like performing stunts while pregnant on Shortland Street: Retribution

- Leena Tailor

Smacking actor Tammy Davis with a shovel, conveying heavy emotion without stressing her unborn baby and dramatically pretending to give birth while actually pregnant? It’s all in a day’s work for “super-mum” Ngahuia Piripi!

The actress felt empowered filming action-packed summer series Shortland Street: Retribution while pregnant with her son Niau, whom she and her former Shorty co-star Teone Kahu welcomed in September.

“I felt like super-mum – it’s so rewarding achieving all that while 30 weeks pregnant,” she says of the TVNZ OnDemand series, which premieres following the soap’s Christmas cliffhanger on Tuesday.

Catching up with Woman’s Day, Ngahuia – who also has a 12-year-daughter, Owairea, from a previous relationship – says she’s navigating being back at work while caring for Niau (pronounced “nee-yo”) and preparing for her little cutie’s first festive season.

“It’s a juggle and we’re still adjusting. The breastfeeding part’s the most difficult. I’m lucky my partner’s still at home and extremely supportive, so we’re taking it one day at a time. Teone’s just been so awesome. The other day, we were filming on location and he brought baby to set, so I could step away, feed him and carry on.

“Everything’s going well and his big sister loves him. He’s the boss of the house already, with everyone running around after him! He seems to be coping with Mum going back to work, so we’re all happy. He’s a good baby, so I’m very lucky and very smitten.”