Ellen Pompeo, who gave birth to daughter Stella Luna in September, covers the April issue of Self magazine. In the interview, Ellen, 40, talks about how motherhood has changed her body.
On her pregnancy weight gain:
"I went up a pants size during my pregnancy. I was in size 25 (inch waist) jeans and went to 26. I gained 26 pounds. I weigh 10 pounds more than I ever have. I love it."
On criticism for being too thin:
"Everyone always told me I was too skinny before, and I thought, Oh, God, what if there are 14-year-olds who think I'm not eating, and then they don't eat? Do I have a responsibility? Really, I don't care if people think I'm too skinny. This is my body. If they don't like it, screw it."
On healthy eating:
"Take a few hours and prepare lunch for the week. On Sundays, I premake everything for salads. I boil a dozen eggs and parboil beets. I chop lettuce, cilantro, scallions and parsley and put it all in Ziploc bags. During the week, I just grab handfuls, add dressing, dump in a can of beans, some goat cheese, and I'm ready to go."
On taking just four weeks maternity leave before returning to the Grey's set:
"A lot of people couldn't understand why I wouldn't take my maternity leave. I make a good living, but I won't always make this kind of money. I felt I needed to work while I had this opportunity."
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