Mariah Carey, 42, who appears to be standing, uses her hair and arm to cover her chest while showcasing her protruding belly and massive wedding ring.
"I was feeling very vulnerable about taking pictures at all right now, but then I didn't want to miss this opportunity to document this once-in-a-lifetime experience," Carey tells the magazine. "My ultimate goal was to share this incredibly personal moment with my true fans."
Carey, who is expecting twins - a boy and a girl -with husband Nick Cannon, said the babies were very much a part of the photo shoot.
"The babies were kicking almost the entire time; it was unbelievable," she said. "Especially the girl -- clearly she's a diva in training!"
Last Sunday, Carey was rushed to the hospital after she experienced a bout of contractions.
We didn't start shooting until 1:30 a.m. because I was in the hospital from the night before until the day of the shoot with contractions five minutes apart!" she said
"Now I have so much respect for mothers everywhere, especially those who've had difficult pregnancies or given birth to multiples," she said, adding, "We need to have Mother's Day once a week!"
The new issue, with Carey's full interview and spread, hits newsstands Friday.
