Beyonce Opens Up About Jay-Z And Why She Waited To Have A Baby

First came love, then came marriage, then came Beyonce's womanhood, according to an interview slated to run in the November issue of Harper's Bazaar magazine.

"It was important to me that I gave myself time to focus on becoming the woman I want to be, building my empire, my relationship, and my self-worth, before I became a mother," the singer, 30, tells Harper's Bazaar. "Now God has blessed us with the ultimate."

People magazine reports that the singer speaks at length in the interview about her husband Jay-Z in particular, and the personal growth she's experienced through her 10-year relationship with him. "We have been together since I was 20 years old. We took our time and developed an unbreakable friendship before we got married," she says. "But, like anything great and successful in your life, marriage takes hard work and sacrifice. It has to be something both you and your husband deeply want."

After much speculation, Beyonce revealed to Australia's "Sunday Night" news show that their first child is due in February. The baby, she says, has already changed her life.

So why now? "I think because I've accomplished a lot of things for myself and I really know who I am, I didn't rush into anything," she told "Sunday Night" about getting pregnant."If it's any time, right now is the time, and I'm so happy."