NEW YORK -- Mariah Carey is known for her five-octave range, and she said her pregnancy made her voice even stronger.

The 42-year-old gave birth to fraternal twins in April. She recently lost 30 pounds (13 kilograms) and said the process has enhanced her vocals.

"Right now I feel like pregnancy actually helped me vocally," Carey told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday.

Carey is the new brand ambassador for diet company Jenny Craig, which is now called Jenny. The Grammy-winning singer said she was approached by a lot of different companies after giving birth, but that the folks at Jenny "understood me."

During her pregnancy, Carey dealt with gestational diabetes and toxemia. She says, "You couldn't make me go through that again." (AP)