Justin Baldoni on Being Away from His Baby: Men Don’t ‘Feel the Same Loss’ as Women

Justim Baldoni and his wife Emily are in baby bliss and it suits them!

The actor, who plays the biological father of Gina Rodriguez‘s character’s baby on Jane the Virgin, and Emily enjoyed a date night at the Men’s Fitness Game Changer event on Thursday in Los Angeles.

“It’s one of our first nights away from the baby,” Baldoni told PEOPLE. “Within five seconds, [Emily] sent a text and we already have a video so everything is okay.”

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Despite missing 3-month-old daughter Maiya Grace, Justin praises Emily for being able to spend time away from their baby girl.

“It’s different for a woman,” he explains. “She was with her for nine and a half months and then had the process of [Maiya] coming out of her, so I don’t feel the same loss she might feel.”

He continues, “At first, I was feeling guilty like, ‘Is there something wrong with me? Am I a bad dad?’ Then I thought about it and no, of course. I didn’t have the same attachment, so it’s interesting, it allows me to go out and be relaxed and balanced.”

But the new dad — who lives by the Abdu’l-Baha quote tattooed on his arm, “Where there is love, nothing is too much trouble and there is always time” — admits he’s even in love with changing his daughter’s diapers.

“She does everything, she’s the best,” says Justin of his wife, who is currently breastfeeding and handling most of the baby duty. “But I love changing diapers. I get to connect with Maiya at diaper time.”

Courtesy Justin Baldoni

Adds Emily jokingly, “I just sniff and say, ‘Here she is,’ and I hand it over.”

The couple have been blessed with a baby who sleeps through the night, providing both of them with a chance to rest. It’s rest and boxing that have helped Emily regain her pre-baby body.

“If you allow six weeks of rest, you quickly bounce back and you’re ready to take on life,” she shares. “I just started working out, I do boxing. As soon as I had my daughter, mama bear came out and I felt like I needed to learn how to fight.”

The couple both take working out very seriously, but nothing touches them more than the smile on their daughter’s face. “She wakes up smiling and laughing,” says Justin. “It’s a beautiful reminder that we used to do that, so why don’t we do it now?”

Apparently they do: In response to what makes him laugh the most, the actor jokes, “when [Maiya] poops on Emily!”

— Raha Lewis

from Celebrity Babies and Kids - Moms & Babies - People.com
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