Expecting a Baby JAG

Nanci Chambers: Expecting a Baby JAG
Pregnancy magazine, December 2002

By CJ Johnson, photography by Dan Peterson

(the image pages enlarge)

Thirteen years ago, Nanci Chambers returned from work one afternoon and found David James Elliott waiting on her front porch. He had been waiting there for eight hours and wasn't about to leave until she committed to return with him to Los Angeles. As she glanced toward the moving truck that was parked in the driveway, she knew David was going to be a part of her future. Today, they have many things to celebrate together: their loving marriage, a beautiful daughter, blossoming careers and challenging roles on the TV series JAG. But the most exciting news in their lives is the upcoming birth of their second baby.
She took a break from her hectic schedule to tell Pregnancy magazine about her life as an actor, mother and wife.
PM: What has been the most rewarding part of being an actor?
NC: Having my peers say that I am doing good work is rewarding. It is also a lot of fun having people on the street come up and say that they love to hate me and that they really enjoy my work. This character I play on JAG is a blast because she is not the nice girl and the audience loves to see what she is going to say and do next. But the most rewarding part is when my parents compliment me. My dad will phone and say he thought I was great in an episode. That means so much to me that they see what I have accomplished after struggling for years.
PM: How do you and David get along at work?
NC: It is great to work together. At the beginning it was a little tough because it was his show, but then we hammered out the boundaries. At first he would give me advice on how to better myself. It was hard for me because he was my husband. Now I look to him for advice because I am more confident and don't feel threatened by his critiques. I am comfortable now and actually look for his advice. It can also be a lot of fun. Our trailers are side by side and sometimes he will phone me and invite me to his trailer for lunch. When I look out my window he is smiling out his window and waving me over.
PM: Congratulations on your pregnancy. How does it compare to your pregnancy with your 9-year-old daughter, Stephanie?
NC: With Stephanie, I was so sick. The thought or smell of food made me sick. David brought crackers to the side of the bed every morning to help me get through it. We were living in Chicago at the time while David was in The Untouchables and I was in acting school. I was exhausted and sick. Then there was the very long, exhausting 36-hour labor with three hours of pushing. Because of complications, I couldn't have an epidural. David was incredible throughout the whole labor and kept me going. When you are in labor that long and in that much pain, someone has to keep you going.
PM: How is this second pregnancy?
NC: It is wonderful! I have tons of energy and haven't gotten sick one day. It is fantastic!
PM: When is the baby due and what is your birth plan?
NC: The baby is due the end of February. My only plans for this birth are that the labor is going to be shorter!
PM: How are you staying in shape this pregnancy?
NC: I have been taking spinning classes for three years. I am trying to keep it going, but I have adjusted my workout for the pregnancy. Now I spin for 20 minutes and don't get my heart rate above 135. Then I cool down and start again. A few times a week, I also work out on our elliptical trainer.
PM: What does David do to make this pregnancy easier for you?
NC: He is wonderful. The other day, I worked all day and he was home. While he was there, he made me "pregnancy muffins." He was baking when I called to check in that day. I made the mistake of telling the guys on the set. The next day when he came to work, they teased him and called him the "Muffin Man." He didn't care. He makes sure I eat healthy food and does the grocery shopping for me to make sure I have plenty of healthy options.
PM: How are you preparing Stephanie for the birth of the baby?
NC: She has been asking for a sibling since she could speak. She was the first person we told and she was in shock because it was so unexpected for her. She and I went shopping as soon as we knew the baby was healthy. We bought outfits and stuffed animals. We are making sure she is a part of the pregnancy and that she knows she will always be a part of our lives and that she will have a big role in the baby's life.
PM: What are your biggest fears for pregnancy and childbirth?
NC: I am worried the labor will be very long again. I am just trying to get my head around that. It is like being in a car accident or something and knowing that you are facing the pain of it again.
PM: Was the long labor the reason you waited so long to get pregnant again?
NC: For the first four or five years after having Stephanie, I kept thinking about the labor and it made it hard to want to be pregnant again. She was also a tough baby and very colicky. But she turned out to be the most incredible child. Then I started working and I thought I better work for a few years before I had another child. Then I thought, next year, no, next year and so on. Nine years went by so fast.
PM: What is the biggest challenge in your daily life as a pregnant woman?
NC: Spinning is an important part of my routine and I can't keep up with it the way I used to. It is hard not to do the things I could do six months ago. It is frustrating when you know you can do it and your body won't allow you.
PM: How do you balance work and family?
NC: Sometimes I am in every scene and sometimes I only work twice a week. When I am on the set, Stephanie is there with me. She reads my lines with me and loves to be there. She is my happy little shadow. As a family we go to the desert every weekend together and have family time. There are no interruptions and no babysitters.
PM: Will you take maternity leave when the baby arrives?
NC: I don't know what the plans are. I imagine I will take a month off and then we will be heading into the end of the season. The plan is for me to come back to the show. My character is unmarried and they are not hiding the pregnancy on JAG. They will have to find a way to resolve the pregnancy issue on the next season.
PM: Will you breastfeed?
NC: Yes, absolutely, if all goes well. I nursed Stephanie for seven months and I would love to do it again.
PM: What is your advice to pregnant women?
NC: This is the most important time in your life to have healthy eating habits. I am off sugar, caffeine, food coloring, etc. It is a very short period of time and it is so important to take care of your baby. Take prenatal vitamins and never drink alcohol.
PM: What do you wish every new mother knew?
NC: As a new mom, I watched each stage that Stephanie went through and felt that it was never going to end. There are some nasty stages in the beginning, like the colic that seemed to go on forever. If someone would have called me back then and said it was OK and that these stages go by quickly, it would have helped me. So, I want other moms to know they should enjoy every moment and not worry about the rough spots because, before they know it, their baby will be a child.
PM: How has motherhood changed you?
NC: Before I had Stephanie, my career was the most important thing. Once I had her, everything else took second place. It became so important for me to set a good example and be a strong woman for Stephanie. Parenthood has made me a calmer, better human being. I have more patience now and I believe I will have even more after this baby.
PM: What is the best part of being a mother?
NC: Having someone love you unconditionally the way my daughter loves me. She just thinks I am the greatest. She is my little friend for life. Right now, she looks up to me and she loves my work and she is such a nurturing, sweet little girl. We read a book together every night. It is the best. She went away to camp last year for three days. It was the longest three days of my life. It was awful. I wanted to go spy through the bushes and watch to make sure that my daughter was OK. I also wanted to put a phone in her backpack for her to call me. It is too quiet when she is not here.