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Pregnant Hannah: 'I hate myself for smoking'

On a family day out, nine months pregnant Hannah Waterman draws on a cigarette in our shocking exclusive pictures. And the shamed actress tearfully admits to Closer she “hates” herself for ignoring doctors’ advice by continuing to smoke while pregnant.

The former EastEnders actress has found her battle to quit an almost impossible struggle but insists her pictured cigarette break last week was just a blip.

Now Hannah, who at the time of going to press was due to give birth any day, vowed she will quit the deadly habit once and for all for the sake of her baby – and her own health.

Distraught Hannah, 35, reveals: “I feel really ashamed about this. Every cigarette I smoke I feel guilty and I’m full of hate for myself. It’s been a continuous battle throughout the pregnancy with odd off days where I’ve fallen off the wagon.”

Hannah’s stressful pregnancy hasn’t helped her efforts to stop smoking. She initially kept her baby to former Bill actor Huw Higginson, 47, a secret – fearful of the backlash from the public having only split from husband, ex-EastEnders actor Ricky Groves, 43, months earlier.

Then, while on holiday with Huw in Australia when she was five months pregnant, she fell ill. After four days in intensive care she discovered she was suffering from incurable type 1 diabetes.

This diagnosis, along with her pregnancy, spurred her on to re-evaluate her life and quit her pack-a-day habit for good. Desperate to look after her health, she turned to various methods to kick the addiction including chewing gum and inhalers.

But despite her determination, she cracked under the strain and now deeply regrets her actions.
She says: “I’ve realised that nicotine is one of the hardest addictions to break and I’d say to anyone, just don’t ever start smoking.

“I’ve been off the fags for most of my pregnancy and have been using Nicorette inhalers which have, up to now, worked well. But it’s been a huge struggle and I’ve found it really, really hard to give up.

She adds: “I’m not making excuses but I’ve had a tough pregnancy with a lot of health scares because of my diabetes. Although that should make me even more careful about mine and the baby’s health, sometimes the stress has got to me and I’ve had a temporary blip.

“At the end of the day, I do not want to be a mum who smokes around her kids.”

Dr Sarah Jarvis says: “Smoking while pregnant increases the risk of babies not getting enough oxygen, which has a knock on affect on brain development.

“It also increases the risk of babies having behavioural problems and learning difficulties later in life as well as lung problems and asthma.”

By Katie Banks