Simon and Natalie Bridges are thrilled to learn they are expecting their third baby, due in time for Christmas.

Tauranga's MP already has two sons with his wife Natalie – Emlyn, 5, and Harry, 3.

'We're both really excited and our little boys are excited. Because we've told them it's coming before Christmas, they think it's like a Christmas present.

'We've had the idea we'd like to have three children, and we're lucky enough to have that chance now.”

The baby's due date is three months after the NZ General Election on September 23, and a week before Christmas.

'We'll have that traditional Christmas break where everything shuts down a wee bit. It's coincided with that, so that's great and we're really looking forward to spending that time as a family.”

'Emlyn will still be five, and Harry three when the baby arrives.”

Emlyn and Harry were both born at Tauranga Hospital, where the couple expect their third child to also be born.

Before entering Parliament in 2008, Simon was a Senior Crown Prosecutor in the District and High Courts, and also practised as a litigation lawyer.

He and Natalie met when he moved to England to study for a Bachelor of Civil Law at Oxford University.

She was doing her Masters in English Literature and they met within the first few weeks of his arrival.

On their return to New Zealand, Natalie worked as a journalist, newsreader and editor before launching a business Blink Public Relations and Marketing in 2012.

Shortly after Emlyn was born, Simon's political career took off when he was appointed to cabinet. He is now Minister for Economic Development, Minister of Transport, Minister for Communications, Associate Minister of Finance, and Leader of the House.

'My parents are probably scheduled to come out from England to New Zealand during February,” says Natalie.

'This will be great because the Christmas break will be well and truly over. It will be nice to have some extra support there. My sister and her husband hopefully will be able to come not long after that to see their new nephew or niece.”

Whether the couple have a daughter or another son is something they're not too concerned about.

'You can find out at twenty weeks. So we'll probably find out. But we're more focused on that we're having another child, and that it's healthy and happy. We're really thrilled, it's just awesome.”