Maternal bliss: starring in American Dreams and becoming a mother is a dream come true for Gail O'Grady

American Fitness, Nov-Dec, 2004 by Bonnie Siegler

Gail O'Grady is the loving wife and devoted mother at the center of NBC's hit drama, American Dreams. And it's her current role as Helen Pryor that helped shape her own dream of someday becoming a mother. Although the 41-year-old actress always wanted children, she was a bit surprised at the timing of her recent pregnancy. "I fell in love with the two youngest kids on the show," explains O'Grady, the happy new mom of Michael, born May 22nd. "I knew I didn't want to live my life without experiencing motherhood, but I wasn't planning on becoming a mom now."

But some of the best things in life are unplanned. "When I found out I was pregnant, I was thrilled," she says, while baby Michael sleeps in the next room. Not wanting to tell producers or fellow castmates about her pregnancy during the first trimester, O'Grady kept mum, although "the smell of Wonder Bread made me nauseas," she confesses. "My character, Helen, is always in the kitchen with Wonder Bread. That smell drove me nuts."

Best known for playing sexy precinct secretary Donna Abandando on NYPD Blue, O'Grady left the acclaimed police drama at the end of her third season, receiving three Emmy nominations--one for each season. Growing up in Wheaton, Illinois, was a far cry from the gritty police precinct where her voluptuous "PG-13 body" caught viewers' attention. Now, the slimmed-down actress says, "I don't remember if I ever had an ideal weight, but during my pregnancy I put on about 20 pounds." O'Grady, who loves to bake banana bread and cakes for the American Dreams' cast and crew, says, "I felt full all nine months, so I ate several small meals a day."

While O'Grady admits Lucky Charms is a nutritional staple around her house, she does practice healthy eating. Like a legion of other Hollywood moms before her, O'Grady has become more aware of--and serious about--good nutrition. She even craved healthy Greek food during her pregnancy. "That was the only thing. I had moments where I absolutely had to have something Greek," she laughs. "I'm usually a big protein person and not because of any diet, it's just the way I like to eat. I've tried fad diets before but can't stick to doing something for more than a couple of weeks. I lose interest in them, it's a holiday or something comes up, like boredom. So, I eat when I'm hungry and when I'm not, I don't. I eat what I want, my thing is portions." Her food must-haves, eggs, milk and cheese, can always be found in her grocery cart. "My mother had me drinking a big glass of milk a day when I was pregnant. I also like colorful foods like flesh blueberries, raspberries, squash and spinach. I think I've become more well-balanced with my eating since having Michael. I'm not an extreme person with food and dieting, so just healthy balanced meals works best for me."

Skipping exercise during her pregnancy, O'Grady has resumed her routine of Pilates, treadmill and some light weight-lifting. "I love Pilates because everything is from your core. That really helps keep my abs and middle toned. I have a Pilates reformer at home, so I use it about two-three times a week. And I'm a big treadmill person, so I can do other things while I'm walking and getting my heart rate up. I look through magazines, read, listen to the radio or watch TV for about 30 to 45 minutes."

While having a baby in her 20s or 30s would have been decidedly easier on her back, O'Grady says readily, "I believe this is the right time for me to be a mother. Yes, my back feels old lately, but I'm definitely more patient and ready for things to be about somebody besides myself. I sound like such a drama queen but I look at women who have more than one child and don't know how they make it through the first few nights. I used to sleep eight to nine hours a night, but having a child means I won't be getting that much anymore. That's okay because motherhood is the happiest, most exciting thing that has happened in my life. The opportunity was a blessing. I have a career and I'm able to bring Michael to work with me. I know I'm a lucky person--I have the best of both worlds right now."

Bonnie Siegler has covered celebrity fitness for American Fitness since 1990. Based in Playa del Rey, California, she is an internationally known writer whose work has appeared in McCall's, Redbook and InStyle.