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Eva Mendes Dishes on Motherhood and Baby Name Inspiration

Eva Mendes all smiles on the set of 'Extra'

Credit: Picture by: Phamous / Splash News

She’s finally talking! Eva Mendes has been M.I.A. since giving birth to her daughter, Esmeralda Amada, in September, but now, the actress is finally opening up about becoming a mother.

Despite being notoriously private about her relationship with Ryan Gosling and their personal life together (the pair were able to keep her pregnancy under wraps for several months), the 40-year-old gets candid when discussing her newborn daughter with The Violet Files.

“Ryan and I both love the Esmeralda character from the Victor Hugo novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and we just think it’s a beautiful name,” she tells the digital magazine. “Amada was my grandmother’s name. It means ‘beloved’ in Spanish.”

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes hold hands on a romantic walk in NYC

And it doesn’t seem like motherhood is proving to be difficult for Eva, who says her daughter has it much harder. “Everything is a struggle for her,” the Place Beyond the Pines star jokes. “For instance, I haven’t thrown up since the 90s and she’s thrown up twice since we started this interview. Motherhood is cake compared to what it’s like to be a baby.”

While Eva and Ryan have managed to remain low key for now, though, she says she knows she won’t be able to keep Esmeralda in the dark forever. “Whether we like it or not, privacy is going to be very difficult for [her],” she admits. “I think it’s unfair, but that’s our reality. Ryan and I decided early on to give her as much privacy as we could, and my pregnancy was the first opportunity to give her that.”

MORE LINKS

Eva Mendes Loves Sleepless Nights with Her Daughter

Eva Mendes Gushes Over Ryan Gosling

Eva Mendes Talks V-Day Plans and Pregnancy Rumors

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