JILL SCOTT TALKS BABY

Jill Scott recently sat down with Essence to talk about her newest addition.

ESSENCE.COM: Congrats, Ms. Scott! We are so happy for you. What was your gut reaction when you learned you were pregnant?

JILL SCOTT: Shock. I didn't think it was possible for me to have kids because I was told I couldn't conceive. I had given up hope of becoming a mother one day.

ESSENCE.COM: What a blessing—a miracle baby! After you got over the shock where did you stand emotionally?

SCOTT: I had to slow down because after I found out, I was supposed to leave for Africa the next day. I called my doctor and talked about what I needed to do, what I couldn't do and what I could do. I was just trying to take as many precautions and be as knowledgeable as I possibly could. Quite frankly, I was freaked out and everyone was asking me, "What are you going to do?" My agent was distraught, but it wasn't about anybody else other than me finding out if the baby was going to be okay, so that's what I did first—slow down.

ESSENCE.COM: Is that the sole reason that you chose to prolong the news?

SCOTT: Well, yes, that was a large part of it. Because I'm 36 and considered a high risk for pregnancy, I wanted to make sure that everything was okay. My closest friends and family knew and that was enough for me. Oddly enough, as pregnant as I am, I didn't have time to enjoy my pregnancy because I was working in Botswana for four and a half months playing someone else. It was a lot of hard work, and I'm not tripping about it because it was a wonderful opportunity and experience. So right now I'm chillin'— enjoying looking at cribs, mobiles, growing and finding maternity clothes and sleeping (laughs.)

ESSENCE.COM: So have you chosen a name yet?

SCOTT: (Chuckles.) Yes, but we want the baby to be the first to hear it.

ESSENCE.COM: We can respect that. Are you having a boy or a girl?

SCOTT: A boy. He will make his grand entrance mid-April.