New Zealand politician Julie Anne Genter cycles to hospital to give birth

A New Zealand MP cycled to hospital while in labour on Sunday only to give birth barely an hour later.

"I genuinely wasn't planning to cycle in labour, but it did end up happening," Julie Anne Genter said on Facebook afterwards.

The Green party's spokesperson for transport was not doing this for the first time - she was a minister three years ago when she took a similar trip.

Ms Genter, 41, is a well-known and outspoken cycling advocate.

The US-born politician said her contractions "weren't that bad" when she and her husband decided to cycle.

She posted a picture of the couple in the hospital car park.