BEIJING, April 3 -- Salma Hayek says waiting to have a baby made her a better mother.

    The 42-year-old actress - who has an 18-month-old daughter Valentina with husband Francois-Henri Pinault - thinks her life experience prepared her for the trials and tribulations of parenthood.

    She said: "I thought I was going to need help getting pregnant, and I didn't.

    "I feel that I've done enough things in life where I can appreciate the time I spend with her as my number one priority and not feel I'm missing out on something. I feel I'm a lot more patient.

    "I'm a more fulfilled human being now, and I probably wouldn't have been 10 years ago. She gets a better mother for being born now."

    Salma also revealed she was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during her pregnancy - after 'Match Point' actor Paul Bettany advised her to see a doctor when she experienced unusual cravings.

    She explained to WebMD magazine: "I was nauseous for the whole nine months, and the only thing I craved was fruit - cold mango, watermelon. And then later on, I was saying that I didn't know why I was getting so big. Paul Bettany said something about too much fruit and gestational diabetes, and I thought, 'What does he know?' "

    While Salma had the support of Paul and his wife Jennifer Connelly, she admits the attitudes of other stars amazed her.

    She explained: "An actress I knew said, 'You're still breastfeeding? You're crazy!' Valentina wasn't even one yet, and she was like, 'Why would you do that? That's for India!' I was shocked at the level of ignorance. The best thing you can ever do for your child in your lifetime is to breastfeed."

    (Source: China Daily/Agencies)