Morning Live presenter Michelle Ackerley has given birth to a baby girl and called her Nala Lomani Ryan.
‘Welcome to the world Nala Lomani Ryan,’ the 41-year-old wrote on social media alongside a picture of the newborn, adding: ‘Our hearts couldn’t be more full.’
Michelle, who has presented shows such as Crimewatch, The One Show and Watchdog, married Ben Ryan, who is a performance director at Premier League football team Brentford.
Ryan formerly coached the England Rugby 7’s team as well as Fiji, which he helped win a gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 2016.
The name Nala, popularised in Western culture by Disney’s The Lion King, has multiple meanings across African cultures, most notably meaning ‘queen’, ‘lion’ and ‘successful’ in Swahili.
The star announced they were expecting on BBC One’s Morning Live show in May after co-host Gethin Jones, 47, told viewers she had ‘some news’.
Ackerley responded: ‘I have actually, yes. I know I still can’t quite believe it myself, really, very, very happy.
‘It’s just come out slowly but surely. I am four months pregnant.’
Michelle has previosly been open about her fertility struggles, revealing she has suffered a long journey with endometriosis.
In a post on social media while announcing their happy news, she said: ‘I wanted to share though as my journey with endometriosis and infertility is something I finally felt confident to start speaking about more openly last year – realising how many other women were going through similar experiences.
‘Feeling part of a community – especially when it comes to women’s health – can really make a difference.
‘Even at the very start of this year, I was gearing up for yet another endo[metriosis] procedure and trying to come to terms with the mental and physical impact they can have.
‘It has been quite the emotional rollercoaster. The news of falling pregnant really came as a massive surprise to both of us. We still can’t quite believe it.’
Endometriosis is a debilitating chronic condition that causes painful or heavy periods, and can make it difficult to get pregnant.
What is endometriosis?
As per the NHS, endometriosis is often found in areas around the womb, such as the ovaries, fallopian tubes and lining of the pelvis.
It also sometimes affects organs, such as the bladder and bowel. Rarely, endometriosis is found in areas outside the pelvis, such as in the chest.
Symptoms happen when patches of endometriosis break down and bleed during your period but cannot leave your body.
You might have some symptoms during your period, such as:
- debilitating period pain, that stops you from doing your normal activities
- heavy periods, where you need to change your pads or tampons every 1 to 2 hours, or you may bleed through to your clothes.
- pain when you poo or pee
You can have other symptoms at any time in your menstrual cycle, such as:
- pain in your lower tummy and back (pelvic area)
- pain during or after sex
- extreme tiredness (fatigue)
- pain or bleeding in other areas, such as in the chest, which may cause shortness of breath and coughing up blood
You may also have difficulty getting pregnant and have low mood or anxiety.
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