Salma Hayek and Francois-Henri Pinault
Salma Hayek was "completely disfigured" during her pregnancy.
The 46-year-old star - who has a five-year-old daughter Valentina with husband Francois-Henri Pinault - has claimed she began "appreciating" her body after putting on 50 pounds while she was expecting.
She insisted: "I gained so much weight, I got an opportunity to see myself completely disfigured in many different ways -- for a very good reason -- and I don't regret it for a second.
"That's when I started appreciating my body. The things that I used to criticise, they were not that bad after all."
The 'Savages' actress admitted she has felt under a lot of pressure from a "harsh" society which forces women to think they have to be "skinny forever".
She told Glam Belleza Latina: "We've got to fight for our confidence every day in modern life because we live in a society that is very harsh to women.
"You have to be smart and successful and a good mother and beautiful and young and skinny forever."
Although her pregnancy gave her a new found appreciation for her looks, Salma has admitted in the past that adjusting to life as a mother was tough.
She previously said: "When you become a mum and are responsible for someone else's welfare, everything is about being the best mum and that's a huge challenge on a daily basis.
"Because when you believe that you already know how to handle them, they become different. They change and evolve constantly but still depend on you.
"Sometimes you can't even go to the toilet alone because they are always after you. It is a massive challenge, and not easy at all, but it is also the most beautiful goal of a lifetime."
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