Michelle Ackerley is expecting her first child with rugby coach husband Benjamin Ryan, one year after their wedding. 

The TV presenter, 40, shared that the news came as a ‘mᴀssive surprise’ to her, and said she is proceeding with ‘nervous and cautious excitement’ amid her ongoing battle with endometriosis.

Sharing a series of loved-up snaps with Benjamin to Instagram, alongside a picture of their baby scan, she penned: ‘I can’t believe it’s nearly been a year since getting married and I honestly didn’t think 12months on that I’d be writing a post sharing that I’m pregnant…

‘I know this kind of news can be difficult to read for some so I understand if you would rather scroll past on this.

‘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.’

Michelle Ackerley is expecting her first child with rugby coach husband Benjamin Ryan, one year after their wedding

The TV presenter, 40, shared that the news came as a ‘surprise’ to her, and said she is proceeding with ‘nervous and cautious excitement’ amid her battle with endometriosis

She added: ‘Even at the very start of this year I was gearing up for yet another endo procedure and trying to come to terms with the mental & physical impact they can have. It has been quite the emotional rollercoaster.

‘The news of falling pregnant really came as a mᴀssive surprise to both of us. We still can’t quite believe it. And so in October, the start of a new chapter begins for @benryan7s and I, albeit with nervous and cautious excitement.

‘I’d like to share more about the journey on here going forward and would love for you to share with me too.’

Michelle previously revealed how endometriosis left her struggling with menopause symptoms at the age of 24.

Michelle, who has co-presented The One Show on BBC1, was given hormone replacement therapy injections to ease the heavy bleeding and intense pain caused by the long-term condition, in which tissue usually found in the womb grows elsewhere in the body.

She said she felt ’embarrᴀssed’ when the treatment gave her H๏τ flushes, itchy skin and extreme mood swings, leaving her body ‘crumbling’.

‘I was experiencing intense pain with my endometriosis and heavy bleeding,’ Miss Ackerley, now 37, told Closer.

She said she tried various treatments including painkillers over several years before her gynaecologist suggested hormone replacement therapy injections.

She shared a series of loved-up snaps with Benjamin to Instagram, alongside a picture of their baby scan

She wrote: ‘I can’t believe it’s nearly been a year since getting married and I honestly didn’t think 12months on that I’d be writing a post sharing that I’m pregnant…’

Read More TV presenter Michelle Ackerley reveals she suffered menopause symptoms at 24 due to endometriosis 

‘It worked, but basically put me into an early form of menopause for 18 months,’ she said.

‘I was given monthly injections into my stomach, which made my periods completely stop.

‘I’d experience these intense H๏τ flushes, my skin became itchy and sore and I had (acne) breakouts on my face.

‘I suffered extreme mood swings so I was all over the place, feeling really panicky and then really angry.’

Michelle said the H๏τ flushes, which felt like ‘someone had thrust a H๏τ water bottle on to my chest’, would happen during meetings and phone conversations.

Michelle has presented shows including The One Show and Watchdog (pictured with TV presenters Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones)

‘I was so busy trying to be this bubbly, positive person while physically and mentally my body was crumbling,’ she said

‘I tried to fake it as best I could,’ she said. ‘I felt so embarrᴀssed.’

It is not clear what causes the condition but treatments include hormone medicines and surgery to remove the tissue.

Michelle, who has also presented Watchdog and several CBBC shows, said she felt ‘isolated’ as she thought she couldn’t talk about the side effects of a medication that was meant to be helping her.

‘I was so busy trying to be this bubbly, positive person while physically and mentally my body was crumbling,’ she said.

What is endometriosis? How the disorder results in pelvic pain and internal scarring

Endometriosis is an often painful disorder in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus — the endometrium — grows outside the uterus.

It most commonly affects the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and the tissue lining the pelvis.

The primary symptom of endometriosis is pelvic pain, although many women also experience cramping during their menstrual cycle.

Symptoms also include painful periods, pain with intercourse, pain with bowel movements or urination, inflammation, excessive bleeding, and infertility. 

Often misdiagnosed, many women only discover they have the condition during infertility treatment.

Approximately half of women diagnosed with endometriosis have difficulty getting pregnant.

While studies about the link between endometriosis and miscarriages are still ongoing, newer research suggests that the condition can leave sufferers at greater risk of having a miscarriage. 

Source: Mayo Clinic