Salma Hayek Talks Motherhood and Eradicating Tetanus

Salma Hayek appeared on yesterday's episode of Oprah and says that she is starring in the role of her lifetime - being a mom for the first time at age 41

Salma says, "It's a little nerve-racking to wait that long, but it's the best time to have it because you've done so many other things in your life. You just get it out of your system, and you can really relax into being a mother, which is the best thing that can happen to you."

She revealed that she was first told that she was expecting a boy and later learned the baby was a girl. She admits, "I remember when they told me it was a boy I was a little disappointed. So I think I really wanted a girl or I knew it was a girl. And then she [daughter Valentina] was born, I was so happy. Having a girl is the best."

Salma explained the meaning behind her daughter's name, Valentina Paloma. She says she picked out the name Valentina because it means "courageous one" in Spanish. "Then, one night, I got really nervous that she was going to be like a revolutionary," Salma says. "And I said, 'I better compensate with another name that's a little softer.' So I named her 'Paloma,' which means 'dove' in Spanish. She's a 'courageous dove.'"

During her pregnancy, Salma developed gestational diabites and gained quite a bit of weight which she thought would be easy to lose. She says, "The pregnancy was really difficult for me. I thought, 'As soon as this baby's out, I'm just going to lose all the weight superfast because I'm going to breast-feed, and everybody tells you if you breast-feed, [the weight] is going to come off. It's a lie; It's not true."

Her main concern is about staying healthy for herself and Valentina. When the time is right the weight will come off. "There are shortcuts, but it's not good for the baby," she says. "So I'm taking my time. I've lost a lot—most of the weight—and I'm very proud of it because it's been really hard work studying what can I eat that's healthy. But I'm still losing, even if it's slow. … And the rest is going to go when it's time to go."

She talked about another important issue to her -- working to help eradicate tetanus, a disease caused by deadly bacteria that enter the body through open wounds. The disease is often found in developing countries with unsanitary conditions. Tetanus is often transmitted during childbirth and infects both mother and child. The infection rages through the body like a powerful poison and often leads to death. These deaths can be prevented with a vaccine that costs just 5 cents per shot.

Salma is working with Pampers to promote their One Pack = One Vaccine program. Each time someone purchases a pack of specially marked diapers, Pampers will donate one vaccination shot to UNICEF to fight tetanus in 12 countries. To make your own contribution, visit pampers.com/unicef.

Source: Oprah