Jada Pinkett Smith: Nutty for Pregnancy

We caught up with the actress at home when she was 7 months pregnant with her second baby.

Photography: ALBERT SANCHEZ. Hair: Tré Major for the Dawn 2 Dusk Agency. Makeup: Matthew Vanleeuwen/Next LA. Styling: Rita Rago.

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Our cover model, Jada Pinkett Smith, starred in The Nutty Professor, Set It Off and the newest Spike Lee film, Bamboozled. She is also the wife of actor/rapper Will Smith and mother of their 2-year-old son, Jaden. We caught up with her at home when she was
7 months pregnant with the couple’s second baby.

Fit Pregnancy: So, do you feel huge yet?

Jada Pinkett Smith: Well, I don’t feel as big as I felt with my son, Jaden, when I was one big walking Chiclet. I gained 50 pounds. I’m telling you, my thighs spread. Everything spread.

FP: Were you trying to get pregnant, or is this an “oops” baby?

JPS: An oops baby. I was starting to wean Jaden, and I’d only had one cycle, so I thought I had some time. Then I got my surprise.

FP: How long did you breastfeed Jaden?

JPS: A good 18 months. That baby never even saw a bottle. He went everywhere with me — premieres, award shows. I would just find a back room and hook him up.

FP: Any cravings with this pregnancy?
 
JPS: I do have a bit of a sweet tooth. Like, I’ve had a couple slices of apple pie.

FP: A couple slices of apple pie isn’t exactly what you’d call a hard-core craving. A lot of women start mainlining Krispy Kreme doughnuts.

JPS: Oh, no-no-no-nooooooo! We can’t have that!
 
FP: What are you doing to keep fit?

JPS: I work out at a gym probably four days a week for two to three hours, a really extensive workout. I do stretching and sculpting, and a lot of free weights to isolate muscles. I also do cardio to keep my mental and emotional endurance high. Endurance really helps in labor. With Jaden, the doctor said it’d take an hour-and-a-half to deliver him. And I said, “Oh, it’s not going to take that long. I’m too anxious to meet this baby.” It took me 20 minutes to push him out. My mother’s a nurse, and she was in there with me. Even she was amazed.

FP: You sound incredibly calm. Are you always this tranquil, or are you faking?

JPS: It helps that Will loves me pregnant, so he makes it easy. He knows about mood swings. He knows when to back off. He knows how to get me in a better mood. He’s got it down!

FP: Any particularly memorable mood swings you’d like to share?

JPS: A couple of weeks ago, I
suddenly got overwhelmed that I was bringing another baby into the world, all that responsibility. So I cried. But I think crying is healthy. I cry every day. To me, crying is like taking a yoga class. It keeps you in touch.

FP: What else triggers a crying jag?

JPS: I just look at the news for 10 minutes, and there’s plenty to cry about. It does more harm not to feel those emotions. That’s what gets people disconnected.

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