Jennifer Lopez has a few well-known nicknames, including "J. Lo" and "Jenny from the Block." She's also been called, affectionately, "The Supernova," by admiring childhood friends, and "La Guitarra," as a homage to her famously curvy figure. But her favorite, and most recent nickname, is "mom," thanks to the birth of her twins, Max and Emme.

After their birth she cut way back on her schedule so she could focus on motherhood. Now Lopez is ready to get back to working full-time on her career and happily balancing her multiple roles as wife, mother, singer, actress and, now, spokesperson for the March of Dimes in their campaign to encourage adults to get booster shots to keep them from inadvertently infecting infants with pertussis.

The Supernova

Lopez was born in South Bronx, N.Y., and grew up in a close-knit family. She and her two sisters, Lynda and Leslie, were encouraged to sing and dance and express themselves. Lopez particularly loved dancing, and to supplement her natural talent, took classes to hone her craft. Combined with her singing abilities and her beauty, it seemed like fame would have been handed to her on a silver platter.

But there are a lot of beautiful, talented girls. What set Lopez apart was a strong work ethic and the drive to keep on working at making it big. By the time she got her big break starring in Selena, most people probably didn't realize how hard she worked to get the role. In fact, it came after years of dancing in music videos, working as a backup dancer for various acts and playing numerous small parts on television and in the movies. She was no lucky, overnight success.

As hard as Lopez works at her job, she took on the role of motherhood with the same single-minded attitude. "My goal is to be the best mom I can be and balance my work and family with grace and love," she says.

It's helped her that her sister, Lynda Lopez, was pregnant around the same time, and sharing that experience was a huge thrill for both of them, says Lopez. "When you have children of your own, your whole perspective on life changes," she says. "You start thinking about life in a different way."

Lopez says she has long wanted to find a cause to represent that had something to do with children, and she has done so – working with the March of Dimes. Her main focus is as a spokesperson for pertussis boosters for adults. She's filmed several public service announcements on the topic, but she also lent her support to this year's March of Dimes March for Babies 2009.

Helping to save the lives of infants is a topic that is close to her heart because of a scare she had with daughter, Emme, when she was just 8 days old. "I was so lucky because I was able to access great health care in the middle of the night," says Lopez. "I had a good hospital nearby and was able to call the doctor, but I thought, 'What if I wasn't that lucky?' I decided I wanted to encourage other new moms and caregivers to maximize their children's health."

She was appalled to learn that there has been a rise in the incidence of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, because of limits on the effective life of the vaccine. Since babies can't get the shot until they're age 2, adults, who are usually no longer immune, can infect babies with whooping cough.

"When I was approached I didn't know much about whooping cough," says Lopez. "For me it was a thing of the past. I was shocked that this knowledge wasn't more widespread. Marc and I both went out and got a booster and insisted anyone who was around our baby do the same. People don't realize you can give it to the babies just by hugging or kissing them, and that's what you do with babies!"

Lopez was even more committed to joining the campaign when she realized that the Hispanic population was at even greater risk than the general population. Her Puerto Rican heritage made her a perfect spokesperson to reach out across communities.

With the same dedication and work ethic she brings to everything, Lopez devoted herself entirely to her twins, Max and Emme, for their first year. Now she's going back to work full-time – with a movie and a new album in the works. She admits she's a bit nervous about how she's going to make it all work, and wonders how other parents manage to do it all.

"I know when I go back to work I'm going to be full of anxiety, because any time away from your babies can cause anxiety and guilt," says Lopez. "I ask myself how I'm going to do this and be the best mom I can be. That will be the balancing act that I'll have to work out."

Photo courtesy of StartraksPhoto.com