Morning Live Presenter's 'Miracle' Pregnancy After Infertility Diagnosis
BBC One Morning Live presenter Michelle Ackerley has described becoming a mother as "a miracle" after being told her chances of having a child were "very, very slim". The 41-year-old, who has suffered from painful endometriosis for many years, was informed following tests that her fertility levels were so low that conception seemed unlikely.
Unexpected Pregnancy and Challenging Journey
Remarkably, just a few weeks after receiving this difficult news early last year, Ackerley discovered she was expecting a baby. "The whole journey of pregnancy, although tough for a lot of physical reasons, has felt like a miracle," she reveals. Her pregnancy proved challenging, with extreme morning sickness during the first trimester, migraines in the second, and a hospital admission for labyrinthitis in the final trimester.
In October last year, Ackerley gave birth by C-section to her daughter Nala, now three months old. Married to sports coach Ben Ryan since 2024, she describes motherhood as "overwhelming", explaining candidly: "That doesn't take away from the very real moments you have every day, every night, sometimes every hour, of overwhelm, of isolation sometimes, and then moments of pure joy and wonder and just being overcome with emotion."
Postpartum Recovery and Fitness Journey
Following her Caesarean birth, Ackerley was advised to "take it slow and steady" and avoid doing too much too soon. She admits: "At the very start, especially with all the hormones and everything, I was putting a lot of pressure on myself to almost get back to how I was before, which you realise pretty quickly cannot be the case, and you shouldn't put that pressure on yourself."
This realisation led her to accept an invitation to join Sport England's This Girl Can initiative through their We Like The Way You Move campaign, which aims to help women find ways to get active that work for their individual circumstances. "Post-pregnancy has been trying to relearn a lot of things, and understand my whole new identity and my body in a different way, which has a real impact on exercise," Ackerley explains.
Redefining Exercise After Motherhood
The presenter, who previously enjoyed running, began her recovery with gentle walking four to six weeks after giving birth. "That's something I've continued to do, but I've started to enjoy it more," she says. "The first part of the process was very much about recovery, and now it's about being a bit more restorative, and reinforcement, plus enjoying the essence of what exercise is about from a physical and a mental point of view, especially when it comes to body confidence."
Research from This Girl Can reveals that 39% of new mothers and pregnant women have lost confidence in their bodies, while 31% feel they have "a different body to work with" when it comes to physical activity. "That totally resonates with me," Ackerley admits. "Sometimes you're getting yourself dressed in the morning and you're looking at yourself thinking 'I don't know this new person. I don't know this new body'. So incorporating exercise you do feel like you're starting from scratch, and knowing what's safe and being kind to yourself is a really big part of that."
Creative Approaches to Daily Movement
Ackerley has developed innovative ways to incorporate movement into her busy schedule as a new mother. She uses the two-minute timer on her electric toothbrush to perform simple exercises like leg lifts or arm movements while brushing her teeth. "It's a small amount of movement, but it's a way of just not being stationary," she explains. "In those moments where I'd just be standing staring into space or thinking of all the jobs I need to do, actually activating my muscles in a small way which doesn't take up any extra time is something I'm finding really helps."
Beyond these brief exercises, she takes Nala for walks in her buggy, carries her around the house while bouncing her, and even performs movements in front of the baby when she's in her bouncer. "It feels like it's a nice way we can be interactive with each other," Ackerley says. "I feel like I'm engaging my body as well as engaging with my baby, which feels special."
Reframing Expectations and Self-Care
Ackerley emphasises that getting active as a pregnant woman or new mother doesn't necessarily mean undertaking gruelling gym workouts. Three months after giving birth, she's considering introducing some aerobic exercise and occasionally lifting light household items like cans of beans. "An important part is reframing what exercise is to you and not overwhelming yourself," she stresses.
"When time is of the essence, think how can I carve movement into my day, and make it an enjoyable thing. If there's ever a time when you need to nurture your body in a loving way, it's now. For me, movement and exercise, and just trying to have that consistency, which I'm able to do a bit more now, is without doubt something that's really helped every time I do it. I feel like – and it's something I've never done to myself before – I just want to pat myself on the back and be like 'Well done today'."
Balancing Motherhood and Career
Currently on maternity leave, Ackerley has recently completed a few Keeping in Touch Days at Morning Live. "It reminded me of that other side of Michelle, the side that's worked hard to be doing the job I'm doing and that I really enjoy," she reflects. When asked about potential plans for expanding her family, she responds thoughtfully: "I'm still working that out myself. I feel so blessed and grateful to have Nala and I'm just getting used to this new normal, so I haven't really even processed what having a second child could look like."
"Having thought I couldn't have one, there's a part of me that now thinks why not two? But to be honest, I'm really trying to spend the time at the minute just centring myself, and taking each day step-by-step. I'll see what happens – who knows?"
Michelle Ackerley is supporting Sport England's This Girl Can initiative 'We Like The Way You Move', which encourages pregnant women and new mothers to celebrate different approaches to physical activity. The campaign highlights that beginning with just ten minutes of activity can provide immediate benefits for energy levels, mood, confidence, and sleep quality.
