Eva Mendes: I’m actually enjoying the sleepless nights bonding with my little girl
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Eva Mendes has been deep into motherhood for about five months, but although she feels more experienced as a mom, don’t go asking her about advice or tips.
“I don’t feel like I’ve really earned the right. I want to respect all the moms out there,” the 41-year-old who welcomed daughter Esmeralda Amada in September, said in the April issue of Women’s Health. “They’re going to be like, ‘You know what? You’re a few months in. Just shut up.”
That said, Mendes and boyfriend Ryan Gosling have already gotten used to – and mastered – the all-nighters with their daughter.
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“I’m actually enjoying the sleepless nights because it’s bonding with my little girl,” Mendes told the magazine.
Since welcoming Esmeralda, the actress has stood behind her decision to be completely hands-on and not hire help during the first few months — thanks to a strong support system.
“I’ve had the same girlfriends since I was 12, and I’ve made amazing girlfriends since,” said Mendes, who was born in Florida to Cuban parents. “My mom and my two older sisters have always been telling me I could accomplish anything. We have each other’s backs in the best way.”
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Despite opening up about her now 6-month-old daughter, Mendes said she makes a conscious effort to keep her family out of the spotlight, joking that social media gives her family a glimpse into the downside of her celebrity status.
“I believe there is a public self and a private self,” she said. “When they freak out about a friend of theirs posting a bad picture of them, I’m like, ‘Well, imagine how I feel! Get used to it!”