OITNB Alum Jackie Cruz Is Pregnant, Expecting Twins with Husband Fernando Garcia

Jose Jesus Perez/Dress: Pompi García

Jackie Cruz is ready to embark on a major new chapter in her life: motherhood.

The former Orange Is the New Black star, 35, is pregnant, expecting twins, a boy and a girl, with husband Fernando Garcia.

"It's been a wonderful pregnancy, honestly," she tells PEOPLE exclusively. "I've been working on it for a few years. I've had some issues with fertility."

While it was important for Cruz and Garcia to initially try to conceive naturally, the actress says wasn't completely swayed by the idea at first.

"Going to doctors, they want you to take all this medicine. My husband, he's really into just being natural and believing that you can do it," she says. "I was against it. I was like, 'No, I want this now.' But he was like, 'No, come on. Give your body a chance. This is what the woman is made for.' But some people are different. Some people have to take fertility [medication], but we wanted to try natural first. And of course, if that didn't work, there were other avenues."

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The couple — who wed in August 2020 — eventually left Los Angeles for Garcia's native Mexico to "detox a little bit and get away from all the stress." At one point, Cruz was pregnant but she "didn't know" at the time.

"I was already detoxing. I was like, maybe, three months [along] or something. I didn't even know and I didn't see it, but I was a little bit emotional. I just thought that was normal," she recalls. "I did miss my period, but I was just in the moment, nurturing my body, my soul, meditating and believing. Like, I would go to the ocean and pray to my God. ... And when I believed I was pregnant, I was literally pregnant and I didn't know."

Now, Cruz is six months into her pregnancy — and she's never felt more "sexy."

"I've just been learning a lot about my body and you know what? I feel so sexy. Like, I got to be honest with you," she says, adding that she's "never felt so comfortable in my body."

"It's so weird. I walk around naked in the house because underwear bothers me now. My husband's like, 'I like this new you.' I mean, we live in the middle of the jungle, so it's not like people are looking through our window," she continues. "But it's been such a great experience. I've never felt so comfortable in my body. This is scary. I like being pregnant. This could happen again."

And while her little boy and girl are slated to arrive in early 2022, the singer — who intends to deliver her twins naturally — knows she wants to have four kids total. "That has always been my dream, to just have a big family. My husband feels the same," she says.

Jose Jesus Perez/Dress: Pompi García

"God already started. I'm getting two in one, two for the price of one, right? So who knows if I could do this one more time and I have four," she continues. "Once I give birth, I'll find out how to do this again. But my husband is just like, 'It's going be smooth sailing. Don't worry. Everything is gonna be smooth sailing.'"

As for what she's most nervous about with her twins, she jokes, "I'm scared they're gonna be bad like me."

"My mom's like, 'Oh, I can't wait for you to have a daughter.' I feel a little threatened by my mom, so I'm a little worried," she continues. "But, you know, everybody's parents [are] different. You always try to be a better parent than your parent. My mom is a better parent than her parent. You know, she did the best she could. And I was raised with five incredible women. My father wasn't around at the time, so it was just a matriarch. Just women around me. They all taught me something different. But this time, it's just gonna be me and my husband."

For now, Cruz is ready to share this exciting new adventure with others — including some of her famous friends. She's even eager to seek their advice on parenthood.

"Since Ashley Graham is a friend of mine, I wanted to hit her up because she doesn't know yet. We have a call in place. But she's also pregnant with twins," Cruz says of Graham, who is already mom to 1-year-old son Isaac with husband Justin Ervin. "I wanted to know like, 'Hey, what are you getting? Like, what is your stroller vibe? What's your plan for then?' "

Cruz also "can't wait" to reach out to fellow OITNB alums Danielle Brooks and Laura Prepon for guidance: "I want to hit up all the mamas."