Jewel: This Pregnancy Is "Great Timing"

Jewel is getting ready to give birth in July, and the singer-songwriter says that after initially wanting to start a family right after marrying in 2008, she and husband Ty Murray are glad they waited.

"We feel like it's great timing, even though we're a little older," she said. "We were both real careful and kind of cautious about it. I think it sort of scared both of us."

Not surprisingly, it sounds like the prospect of becoming a mother has been inspiring for Jewel - she recorded the album 'Lullaby' at her Texas home while trying to get pregnant, and she just finished another children's album, 'The Merry Goes 'Round,' due out in the fall.

"I wanted it to work on a lot of levels where infants would like it, and they could just bounce to the rhythm of a song, and then as they get older they could get into the storytelling aspect, and hopefully have them be well-crafted pop songs that a parent would like," she said.

And the busy mom-to-be has definitely mastered the multi-tasking aspect of motherhood - she's pairing up with former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi to host Bravo's upcoming new show Platinum Hit that focuses on developing the talent of budding songwriters.