Salma Hayek on Motherhood and Her Unconventional Relationship

Salma Hayek is a very busy mom. In addition to being a high-profile actress, Hayek keeps herself busy producing Ugly Betty and is a dedicated activist. Not to mention that she welcomed her first daughter, Valentina Paloma, with PPR CEO Francois-Henri Pinault in September.

She recently sat down with Glamour magazine to talk about her daughter, her pregnancy, her relationship, and her hopes for the future.

On becoming a mother at age 41:
"I believe that change keeps you young. I’m a late bloomer; I always have been. I’m 41, and I know a lot of women think that this is the time when you start getting depressed. To that I say, “No, no, no, no, no!” I’m having the best time of my life."

On the best thing that's happened in her life: "The best thing that’s ever happened to me is this thing that has happened to so many women, which is having a baby. Every second is magical, every smile. I cannot get enough of it, because I am not sitting here thinking, What am I going to do with my life? I’ve already established my career. I think it’s very good to have a child at this age. I’m in a great place."

On how Valentina has changed her:
"I don’t remember very well who I was before. Part of me feels like it’s so new and so strange to have a baby, and part of me feels like I’ve known [her] face forever. Somehow I am really relaxed within the chaos of having a baby -- and anyone who’s a mother knows it’s very hard to relax, because there is so much to do and worry about! I just feel so fortunate to be her mother, and it makes me excited about the rest of my life, because I will get to witness her transformation every day. I feel I was born to have this girl."

On her pregnancy:
"I really embraced pregnancy. I enjoyed it. It came to me and I said, 'OK, this is where I go now.' I had diabetes while I was pregnant. I became huge. And I said, 'This is what it takes for me to have this baby, and I really want it.' Then you don’t know if it’s going to be healthy; you are completely out of control. So the experience really makes you humble."

On the surprises of motherhood:
"Well, I have to confess something -- I wanted a boy. At the beginning I did. Probably because I was afraid. I think women suffer a bit more than boys, and there is always conflict between mothers and daughters. But now that she’s here, I’m so happy she’s a girl. And I can’t imagine there ever being conflict between us, because I’m in a state of innocence where I love everything she does. If she does a poop and I have to change the diaper, I love that moment!"

On her relationship with Valentina's father, Francois-Henri Pinault [he lives in Paris, she lives in Los Angeles]:
"To most women it’s crazy. But every relationship is unique, and in order to make it work you have to be willing to listen—not only to your partner, but to the relationship itself. You have to be brave enough to say, 'This is who we are: We might not look like the perfect couple, or like our parents did, but this is our love story.'"