Salma Hayek Says Eating Too Many Fruits Caused Complications When She Got Pregnant in Her 40s

Salma Hayek François-Henri Pinault gestational diabetes Salma Hayek children Linda Evangelista Dorothée Lepère difficult pregnancy Down Syndrome preventing gestational diabetes

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald Jan 29, 01:32 am

Photo: (Photo : Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)

Salma Hayek recalls her traumatic pregnancy in her 40s that caused complications and threatened her life and the baby inside her womb. The Hollywood superstar said she ate too many fruits during the early phase of her pregnancy, which led to a few health issues that alarmed her doctor.

In an interview, Hayek said that she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her first and only pregnancy in 2007 because she was unaware that eating a lot of fruit with high sugar content could be harmful. She gained so much weight and experienced nausea for the whole pregnancy term.

Apart from her difficult pregnancy, where she risked losing the baby, her doctor also advised her and Pinault that their baby could be born with Down syndrome. This added to the mother's trauma and stress.

Fortunately, Valentina was born in September of that same year as a normal and healthy child. She is currently in her teens and hasn't been bitten by the acting bug like her mother just yet.

Salma Hayek as a Mom of Four

Unknown to many, Hayek has three other children in her blended family with Pinault. Her husband, a luxury brand company CEO, has a son, August, born just a year before Valentina.

Though August's mother, former supermodel Linda Evangelista, sued Pinault for paternity, Hayek welcomed the boy like her own child. August spends time with his father, stepmom, and half-siblings on vacations, including the one they took in August 2021.

Pinault also shares two older kids with his first wife, Dorothée Lepère. Though they have been divorced since 2004, their children, François and Mathilde, are close to their father and Hayek. The Hollywood superstar doesn't fail to publicly greet Pinault's kids on her Instagram account if they are celebrating birthdays and milestones.

Hayek said that despite her difficult pregnancy, she felt she got pregnant at the right age because she's more mature and in touch with her feelings. The only thing she regrets about being a mom in middle age is that she got quickly tired of running after her active daughter.

However, Hayek has not wished to get pregnant again after Valentina due to her trauma. She also believes she doesn't need more kids since Valentina has three siblings.

Preventing Gestational Diabetes in Women Over 40s

According to the Cochrane Library, women of advanced maternal age are at risk for developing gestational diabetes, so doctors advise cutting back on sugar early on. However, various "preconception and interconception interventions" have been used for years to reduce these risks further and ensure that the mom and baby remain in good health.

These interventions include dietary changes with an increased intake of fiber-rich foods, vegetables, and whole grains. Pregnant moms are also recommended to have a range of physical activities like aerobics, yoga, or stationary cycling. According to the experts, pregnant women who have at least four hours of physical activity every week may maintain their glucose levels and reduce their risk for gestational diabetes by 70 percent.

Doctors will usually recommend a blood sugar test for moms already at risk within the first three months of the pregnancy. This way, the doctor could monitor and see if the pregnant mom's glucose level is on or off target.