Nicole Polizzi feels like Snooki is her "drunk alter ego."

The Jersey Shore star has left her wild days of partying behind her since giving birth to her son Lorenzo last August and admitted she barely recognises herself from her days on the MTV reality TV show.

"I feel like Snooki is my drunk alter ego. When I drink, she comes out and she's crazy and just does what she wants. And at the Shore house, it was a party vibe. That was our vacation and I was living in the moment. But I'm so over partying, I've been doing it since high school. My pregnancy just changed the way I view things. It's not all about being stupid and going out. It's about family and making memories and working out. I take everything more seriously."

Snooki - who is engaged to Lorenzo's father, Jionni LaValle - claims her friends aren't surprised by her transformation: "Some people said, 'I always knew you had it in you.' I just had to mature I guess. I was so used to having someone take care of me and now that I have Lorenzo, I'm doing everything on my own."