The Chew star Daphne Oz covers the November issue of Fit Pregnancy and Baby and opens up about her two children — daughter Philomena, 3, and son Jovan (called John), 2 this month — and expecting her third child with husband John Jovanovic.

On wanting a big family: “This time I had blood work done to confirm I was Pregnant. When the doctor told me the news, I got this huge grin on my face and called my husband immediately. I Love being pregnant. I always joke with him that I want seven kids. We’ll see what number we actually get to.”

On nausea: “First-trimester morning sickness is tough, because you feel like crap but can’t yet tell people why. I’ve found that as long as I eat some refined carbohydrates every hour—bagels, pizza, pretzels—I’m fine! In my normal life, I love a good grain bowl with legumes and lean protein, but I can’t even look at that during the first three months of Pregnancy. The weird thing is that while I’m always hungry, I’m also full after eating about three bites.”

On her pregnancy diet: “As long as I have good food and a comfy bed, then I’m pretty solid. When I’m pregnant, I don’t eat raw fish or filter feeders, like clams or mollusks. I miss my stinky cheeses. I still drink one Americano coffee a day. Part of me wishes I could quit that, too, but the medical community says that the stress we put on moms to be perfect is way more damaging than just having that cup of coffee. We stress ourselves out so much!”

On exercising during pregnancy: “During my first two pregnancies, all I did was walk and I ended up suffering. I had terrible back pain in the last trimester. After each birth, I was so weak that when I’d bend over to lift the baby, I’d have to use my arms for support because I had no core strength. So, this time I’m doing 20 to 30 minutes of real exercise a day. For the first 18 weeks, I did a modified Tracy Anderson program. Then I transitioned to her pregnancy DVDs. I also love Ballet Beautiful. It’s low-intensity but strengthens my muscles. I try to stay active too. I live in New York City, so I walk to do my errands. I’m not a gym rat. In fact, I hate going. If exercise is easy, the more likely I am to do it.”

On embracing her pregnancy curves: “I struggled with my weight during my entire adolescence. Now I no longer associate my self-worth with my size, which is helpful because your size fluctuates when you’re pregnant. During that last month, it’s like someone sticks a balloon pump in you and puffs you up everywhere! But the more you fixate on your weight, the harder it seems to be. So I’m not focused on not gaining weight. I’m growing a life inside of me, and I feel so powerful.”

On involving her older kids: “I told Philomena, ‘We are having a baby girl, and she’s coming around Christmas, like a present.’ She looked at me and, in all seriousness, said, ‘Oh man! I was really hoping for a dinosaur.’ It was so cute. Now, she’s excited. She kisses my belly and  says, ‘How’s Sugar? Isn’t she done cooking yet?’ But her brother is younger, so he either doesn’t understand or maybe he just doesn’t care. He’s such a dude.”

On keeping the name a secret: “We haven’t chosen a name yet, but I know one will come. It’s so hard. We shared the names early the last two times and never will again. People say things to change your opinion.”

On her birth plan: “With Philo, I wanted a natural birth, but my amniotic fluid was dropping, so I had to be induced. After 28 hours of labor, I was like, ‘Give me the motherfucking epidural!’ But the experience of getting one was more painful for me than the labor. They spinal-tapped me four times, and each time, half of my body went numb. I thought I was paralyzed! Then, when it finally came time to push, I was worried I wouldn’t feel anything. But in reality, you feel everything, only without earth-shattering pain. You’re aware and in the moment, and it was beautiful and nothing like I’d expected. The only catch is, my recovery was hard. With my son, I did it without drugs. It sucked for the eight hours I was going through it, but that second labor was shorter and my recovery was much easier. I was walking around that day and my body bounced back faster. We’ll see what this next labor brings. I’m going to try natural again.”

For more from Daphne, go to Fit Pregnancy and Baby…

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