Jessica Alba says having children has made her feel sexy.

The 'Sin City' actress - who has daughters Honor, three, and nine-month-old Haven with husband Cash Warren - found having kids "empowering" and says having a family has made her much less shy about her sexuality.

She said: "Having babies helped me embrace my sexuality. Up until then, I was quite shy about it. But once I experienced how incredible and amazing it was to create a life, it was empowering. Now, I feel freer to express myself and just be me. Through motherhood I really came into my own and, for me, feeling sexy is all about this type of comfort, confidence, and true happiness."

Jessica admits having children has made her less critical of herself and even though she knows her body has changed a lot since she became a mother, she doesn't care because her priorities have changed.

In a blog for website iVillage's CelebrityVillage, she wrote: "It's really amazing how your perspective shifts and your definition of sexy evolves once you become a mother. Before having Honor and Haven, I was super-critical of my looks and worried more about inevitable changes to my body. I couldn't even say the word 'sexy' to describe myself without feeling funny and awkward.

"But becoming a mom has definitely made me feel more confident and secure than I ever did in my 20s. Even though I can't ever get down to my pre-baby weight before having Honor, my jeans don't zip up the same way, and things just hang differently (all moms know how that goes!), I feel completely comfortable in my skin and my idea of perfection has changed.

"I don't really care about my body image anymore because it just doesn't matter now that I have children. Instead, I focus on my health, feeling strong, and making sure I'm up and running so I can spend that all-important time with the girls."