Actress Sarah Michelle Gellar (34) gave birth to her first child with fellow actor Freddie Prinze Jr. in September of 2009. She recently opened up to Health magazine about being a mom to 2-year-old Charlotte, staying fit and the surprise of going into labor at the gym.
How did you keep fit when you were pregnant?
Well, I went into labor at the Pilates gym.
You didn’t!
And it was funny, too, because I was getting cranky, and I said to my
trainer, “I’m just cranky today.” She was like, “Maybe it’s because
you’re going to give birth!” And I was like, “Nah, not yet.” It turned
out I was in labor, I didn’t realize.
You seem so confident. Do you ever have moments of insecurity?
Oh God … I’m a female! I totally have body dysmorphic disorder. I think most women do. A makeup artist friend once said, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look in a mirror.” I’m surrounded by them all the time—you sit in hair and makeup—so I guess I just have this mechanism where I tune it out. So every once in a while, I’ll look and I’ll be like, “Wait, that’s what I look like?” I just have to remember that I’m human, and I’m a mom. Being a parent changes the vanity at least a little bit. It has to. Your priorities are different.
If you were ever to put a famous woman’s body on your fridge for inspiration, whose would it be?
I would never do that to myself, especially because I’m aware of the airbrushing and trainers and food programs. You have to use yourself as inspiration. I think if I were ever going to put something up, I would put a picture of myself where I was proud of my body. But I would rather not look at a picture of myself on my fridge. In fact, we have a nonmagnetic fridge.
What picture would it be?
Probably before I got pregnant—I was in really, really good shape. I think when I was doing Buffy I was a little bit thin, actually, because even though I was working out constantly, it was just the time and the age. But I was happy being pregnant, too. I’m not as critical as I used to be about my body. And it’s also funny, too, how women perceive women, and how men perceive women. Because a woman will look at the skinniest person and think that’s the most attractive, and a man will not think that’s attractive at all!
How will you raise your daughter so she has a healthy outlook?
Well, we’ve already taught her to love healthy food. We took her to sushi on Saturday night, and everybody couldn’t believe what she inhaled. I think it’s important at a young age to enjoy different tastes. And we make this green juice for her. It’s basically everything but the kitchen sink. We go to the farmers’ market and buy everything and just put it in the juicer: kale, Swiss chard, carrots, celery. You name it. And now we’ve all started drinking it, and we’ve all been healthier.
What has been your favorite age?
Oh, right now, for sure. A lot of people say how much more relaxed I am, and it’s because I don’t take things as seriously. You know, it’s not just about work, I have a different priority. And I can let things roll off differently. The only thing that makes me mad is if I lose time with my child.
Is there a way you speed up the quality time with your family?
Napping. That’s why I never do anything at lunch, because most of the time I eat before we break for lunch, and I nap during lunch. I don’t want to miss the mornings with her, so no matter how late we work, I get up with her. My weekends I refuse to work. Because that’s her time. I love this job—it’s not my first priority anymore.
How do you keep from getting too stressed out?
I’m not saving the world. I have to remember that I like my job, but it’s work, and it’s not my life. My life is my family. And I think that’s the best thing. You know, take a minute. It’s not the end of the world.
Sarah Michelle Gellar’s Secrets to a Healthy Life [Health]
September 28th, 2011 
