Nancy O'Dell of Access Hollywood is pushing herself to new heights. As one of the nation's top entertainment reporters, she is no stranger to the spotlight. Covering The Oscars, The Emmys and the Golden Globe awards are exciting assignments, but this year she is facing new challenges. O'Dell is making cameo appearances (a small role played by a celebrity -- often limited to a single scene) on numerous popular television shows. In August, she played a cop on General Hospital and in the season premiere of Just Shoot Me she appeared on the cover of Blush magazine. No, her reporting days aren't over – O'Dell is trying to set a new record for the largest number of cameo appearances on television.

The purpose behind her string of cameos? She is raising awareness for the March of Dimes' campaign: Blue Jeans for Babies. By working together with an organization that prides itself on promoting healthy pregnancies and preventing birth defects, O'Dell will be one busy woman.

"I think Alfred Hitchcock has the record of 37, so he is known as 'the king of cameos,'" O'Dell says. "I am wearing either blue or blue jeans in every program, so every time people see it, or we get press from it, it kicks in the idea of the Blue Jeans for Babies purpose."

Healthier Pregnancies, Healthier Babies
O'Dell was recently named the national spokesperson for the Blue Jeans for Babies campaign by the March of Dimes. The campaign's goal is to raise awareness regarding preconception care for women who are of childbearing age. Research shows women who take steps to become healthy before pregnancy can greatly reduce their chances of having a baby with birth defects. Thrilled with the opportunity, O'Dell accepted the position.

"I think they were looking for a young woman who possibly might want to have children in the future, and who had a national forum to get the message out," O'Dell says. "It's funny because shortly before they called, I was wishing there was some way I could help my community and benefit people because I have a national forum. I said a little prayer, and it worked out perfectly."

O'Dell will not only be raising awareness through her cameo appearances, but she also will be raising money for the March of Dimes.

"Because of union rules, each program is required to pay you a certain amount to do a cameo appearance, which I will donate to the March of Dimes," she says. "It should be a lot of fun -- the programs are excited about it, too."

O'Dell also confided that a large corporation, whose name she could not mention, plans donate money to the March of Dimes each time one of her cameos airs. In addition, Nancy plans to generate interest from other shows, without appearing in a cameo role.

"We are trying to get some of the morning shows, along with some of the news shows, to wear blue jeans," she says. "And when I go on the programs to talk about the campaign, hopefully [the hosts] will participate by being in jeans that day for us."

What does the staff of Access Hollywood think of all this? O'Dell says her enthusiasm immediately sparked their interest. They got excited after she asked them to do some research on prenatal care and the largest number of cameos ever made. O'Dell says they plan to have their hosts in blue jeans sometime in October, which is the official campaign month.

"They are totally behind it now, and I think they are going to keep track of it on the show," she says. "They are going to keep a little tally of how many cameos I make, and which shows they are on."

The March of Dimes Blue Jeans for Babies Campaign hopes to instill the image of blue jeans as a representation of the American healthy lifestyle. This, in turn, will hopefully remind women to take care of themselves before and after conception. All across the country, companies and their staff participate in the campaign by buying Blue Jeans for Babies buttons at $3 to $5 apiece. By buying a button, employees "buy" the right to wear blue jeans to work on the day designated by the company. All of the proceeds go to the March of Dimes.

O'Dell's enthusiasm spread throughout her workplace, and she encourages every company to get involved -- from large corporations to small businesses. She has learned a lot about preconception health while being a spokesperson. Before leaving for work, she eats a healthy breakfast and takes a multivitamin. She is preparing her body to eventually nurture a baby. She says her diet, which meets the daily recommendation of folic acid, is extremely important for women who are of childbearing age.

An Important Vitamin
Folic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of birth defects of the spine and brain by 50 to 60 percent. And although she and her husband are not planning to have children for a few more years, she knows that almost half of the pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned.

"I thought it was pretty incredible that something so simple could help so much," says O'Dell. "I am not planning to get pregnant any time soon, but if it does happen, the folic acid will be in my body to help prevent birth defects. I learned you can get folic acid through certain foods like green leafy vegetables, orange juice, enriched breads, beans and grains. You can also get it through a multivitamin. A lot of people don't know about folic acid because the research wasn't widely known until the early 1990s."

O'Dell also understands how a change in anyone's diet, especially for a busy woman like herself, can be a challenge. But she reminds women that the benefits outweigh the inconvenience, and changing a routine can be easy.

"I think everybody can take time out in the morning to drink orange juice," she says. "Make an effort to get fortified cereals and breads. Folic acid comes in a lot of food, and taking a multivitamin doesn't take long."

When asked if her work with this campaign makes her an advocate in her daily life, she replied that she definitely tries to educate people.

"I give a little lecture, like, 'OK, you need to do this and this. Do you know about this? Are you taking your multivitamin?'" she says. "And I really noticed a difference in my own diet. I don't like vegetables much; the only one I can eat is asparagus, so I have been loading up on that! Women also need to make sure they are vaccinated against measles and Rubella (German measles), get regular checkups, maintain an ideal weight, exercise, review family history, don't handle cat litter or eat under-cooked meat, drink, do drugs or smoke."

O'Dell has conducted in-depth interviews with famous celebrities such as Arnold Schwartzeneger, John Travolta, Tom Hanks, Nicolas Cage and Michael Douglas. But despite her contributions to the entertainment world, she is motivated by her husband's success as an anesthesiologist, and often compares her work with his.

"Because you are in the entertainment world, you ask yourself, 'What am I doing to make a difference -- what am I doing to help society?'" says O'Dell. "I always felt a little guilty, I think, being married to a doctor and hearing all that he's done to help in emergency rooms, and with delivering babies. I just don't feel like I am making as much of a difference as he is. But now maybe I am going to help someone 40, 30 or even 10 years down the road. Or maybe I am helping someone who is having a baby right now. That's rewarding."

For more information on how to get involved, call your local March of Dimes chapter or 1-888-MODIMES (663-4637).

This interview was conducted when O'Dell was spokesperson for the March of Dimes Blue Jeans for Babies campaign. She currently serves on the American Red Cross' National Celebrity Cabinet, and is involved with Best Buddies, a organization that pairs people with developmental disabilities with non-disabled people for mentoring, support and friendship.