Here's more from the Fit Pregnancy Magazine interview.
Jessica Alba was only 17 when Titanic director James Cameron handpicked her for his drama series Dark Angel. Since then, the 27-year-old actress has become a full-fledged movie star, thanks to films such as Fantastic Four, Sin City, Good Luck Chuck and the recent horror hit The Eye. But her upcoming Mike Myers comedy The Love Guru, due for release in June, isn't the only new production in her life. Here, the radiant star, sipping peppermint iced tea at a Beverly Hills hotel, talks about her first pregnancy (with fiance Cash Warren, 29, whom she met on the set of The Fantastic Four in 2004); the baby is due this summer.
Q&A with Jessica Alba
Q: Your life is so busy. How are you feeling now that you're pregnant?
A: At the end of the day I am so tired I can't function or speak and my eyes glaze over; but this pregnancy has seriously mellowed me out, which is nice. I've been going, going, going for so long, it feels nice not to take things so seriously.
Q: You must be in full-fledged nesting mode.
A: Yes! We had to get a baby-friendly house because my home was four stories with a big spiral staircase—so not a baby house! It's a big project, with painting and decorating. The crib and other baby furniture I'll get through the charity Step Up Women's Network (suwn.org). They started a baby furniture line that helps serve underprivileged women. I think often the baby's room doesn't fit in with the rest of the house, but this line does. Plus, the crib is made of sustainable wood, and the other furniture has low-VOC paint.
Q: Are you having any cravings or aversions?
A: I suddenly love citrus stuff, oranges and lemonade; I can't get enough of it, and I didn't really care for any of that before. And I can't deal with things that are too pungent. I used to love truffles; now I can't. I also have a hard time eating a big steak.
Q: What kind of mother do you think you'll be?
A: I don't want to be my child's friend; I want to be a mom. But I do want my child to come to me when they have problems and need to talk, so it's going to be about treading that line.
Q: There are so many child-raising "experts" out there. Who, if anyone, are you getting tips from?
A: I watch the TV show Supernanny with Jo Frost, and it is so obvious, of course, when you are not in the situation yourself to go, "The kid is jacked on sugar all day long and you are arguing with them? Send them to a time-out chair or to their room!" But because the parents never established those rules, the kids are doing anything they want, and I look at that closely.
Q: Your own heritage is very diverse; how are you going to introduce your baby to all his or her different cultures?
A: Mostly it will be the Mexican traditions that will be important. At Christmas we sing Las Posadas, which is like a Christmas play, and we sing all of the Christmas carols in Spanish and English. My grandmother has traditions I will definitely be exposing my kid to. As far as food goes, we are pretty diverse. Cash grew up with soul food, I grew up with Mexican, but we both love sushi and lots of other kinds of food, so we will be able to expose our kid to so many different things.
Q: How do you think Cash will be as a father?
A: We are pretty similar in our views on parenting. But I really don't want my kids eating McDonald's, and Cash will probably be the kind of dad who'll sneak off and get McDonald's for them and tell them not to tell mom!
Q: What can you tell us about your next film, The Love Guru, with Mike Myers?
A: Mike is a fan of Deepak Chopra, so his script combines his two favorite things, Eastern philosophy and hockey—plus that crazy Austin Powers comedy! I play the owner of a cursed hockey team and I hire the love guru to help fix my star player's love life.
Q: What are your plans for the delivery?
A: I want to spend as much of my labor as possible at home, and I'm taking a HypnoBirthing class. It's a relaxation technique that allows you to avoid going into panic mode and tightening up. If you are calm and relaxed, your body will just do what it has to do.
Q: Did you always want to be a young mother?
A: I think I'm the perfect age—young enough to be a young mom but old enough to be prepared and totally ready for it. My parents were 19 when they had me, and that is different from being 27. And I've lived many different lives, so I'm excited and happy to be a mom right now.
Jessica Alba's Favorite Maternity Things
Maternity clothes
Maternity Spanx are my favorite right now. The stomach is cut out so its fantastic when I'm wearing a nice dress because there is no chafing! I am wearing a lot of Juicy right now also, long dresses with extra room in the bust so everything is in a bigger size but if I go for maternity clothes, I like Pea in the Pod.
Footwear
Flip-flops, of course. I just don't want to wear anything else on my feet at this point!
Fragrance
I like a lot of fragrances by Fresh because they are so clean. I also love Jo Malone for the same reason. With my sense of smell being so heightened, it's really important to have something clean and simple. I'm also really liking citrus mixed with florals.
Baby items
I love Petit Bateau, they have some really nice baby clothes but my favorite clothing item for the baby are vintage clothes. I went to France to a vintage flea market and they had little outfits that the baby goes home in, made out of this cotton from the late 1800s and it was so beautiful! I am going to have my stylist put little buttons on it because they used to use safety pins back then but it feels so special because it's not made anymore.
Stroller
Orbit is my favorite. It's a hybrid stroller that looks like half an egg. You can use it as a car seat and a stroller so you never have to take the baby out of it. Then when the baby gets bigger you can put a toddler seat in so it's really practical. It's also eco-friendly so that's another nice thing; I've been trying to get a lot of eco-friendly products.
Any other favorite baby gear you have your heart set on?
The crib and other baby furniture I'm getting is through the charity Step Up Womens' Network (SUWN.ORG). I've been working with them since I was about 20 helping to service underprivileged women. They started a modern baby furniture collection with simple lines. I think often the baby's room doesn't fit in with the rest of the house, but this collection really goes with the rest of our house. The crib is also completely sustainable and the other furniture has low-VOC paint.
Favorite concealer
There is a line from Revlon called New Complexion Oil-Free Makeup. It blends into your skin tone, so whether you are a couple of skin tones lighter or darker, it works with you. I find my skin is not the same day to day; sometimes I'm really pale and other days I'm flushed. I used to like Revlon Colorstay because it didn't move, but now that I'm pregnant, I want something lighter on my face, so I really like the New Complexion Concealer.
Hair products?
I use Oscar Blandi Jasmine Oil Serum. It's a great conditioning treatment. I think I'm attracted to that scent more than anything! I've always been into scents, but more so now that I'm pregnant.
Info from
www.fitpregnancy.com