Calleigh from Raleigh

Actress Emily Procter shares her biggest indulgences and how she stays fit during pregnant

Q: What do you worry about?

A: The main thing is I just want the baby to be happy. I keep hearing my friends who are moms say, “You’re only as happy as your happiest child.” So that’s my biggest anxiety.

And I keep having this nightmare that I forget to feed the baby! Really, I just worry about everything, and at every stage. I mean I clear one hurdle then it’s on to the next. This week it’s my gestational diabetes test.

Someday I’ll write a book and call it Pregnancy, the Beginning of Worry. But I also think it is some sort of evolutionary survival mechanism to create the worst-case scenario so you are prepared when something does happen.

Q: Have you decided if you’ll breastfeed?   

A: I’m hoping to and I’m learning all I can. I loved the movie Babies; the mothers make breastfeeding look so easy, and the babies seem so loved when they are nursing. I’ve also been watching lactation videos on YouTube. I know it’s not the same as actually doing it, but it’s preparing me for what it’s like.

I plan to keep the baby in one of those co-sleeping bassinets right next to the bed, so it’s easier.

Q: I know they didn’t write the pregnancy into the script – how hard was it to work around?

A: You know, at first I was bummed that the pregnancy wasn’t written into the script, but it has been a blessing in disguise. Since it’s not part of the story line and we have to sort of hide it, I end up sitting more and working less!

Q: Will you come back to work?

A: My plan is to not miss any work. Which means, of course, interviewing nannies. This one woman came over, a very highly recommended chef and nurse, and I swear it was like being on a date with the captain of the football team, I was so nervous.

But I am used to having someone around to help; we always had Amy, who was in her 70s when we were kids. She helped raise my dad, too.

Q: We loved you as Ainsley on The West Wing. How hard was it to play a Republican?

A: It was interesting, because I’m a total communist/socialist. But if you have a dream to be an actor, you just get joy from reading what’s written. It was fun to be the person whose politics are different from everyone else’s. I saw Ainsley as a bridge, as someone who taught the other side what made her side tick.  Both sides were represented. That’s what made that show so good.

Q: So now you are a Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula spokeswoman and a fan, as we all are. Are you worried about stretch marks?

A: I’m concerned with keeping my skin as supple and healthy as I can of course, so I use the Tummy Butter all the time. And the Cocoa Butter Formula for Dry Itchy Skin Soothing Oil—it’s a spray that really gets to those hard-to-reach places. I love Palmer’s; it’s a family-owned company and they use the best ingredients.