The 31-year-old singer - who has 22-month-old son Knight with ex-husband Nas - always wanted to have children but admits she wasn't prepared for how rewarding an experience raising a family could be.
She said: "I always wanted to be a mother because that's what women do, but not because I really understood what it meant.
"Now I understand it's the most amazing thing in the world. There's nothing burdensome about it, it's just the most amazing privilege, it's a real gift from God and it's amazing.
"I don't think anyone ever explained it to me that way. You can't really prepare for it. No one can tell you how intense the love is, and how rewarding it is."
The 'Milkshake' star also spoke of how "proud" she is of her life and the decisions she has made along the way.
She added to Attitude magazine: "I'm most proud of the woman I want to be. I can't say that I'm there yet, but I'm proud of the decisions and the conscious effort I've made to be the kind of person that I want to be."
‘Like’ our Award Winning facebook page and be entered into a draw to win 1000 CDs including rare, signed and promotional copies here!