I was struggling to conceive, and was always tired — I had an underactive thyroid 

Thyroid disorders can easily go undiagnosed, with symptoms such as fatigue, low mood and weight gain often attributed to other health issues. It took mother-of-three Michelle Audley years to learn that her underactive thyroid was hindering her ability to conceive

Michelle Audley was told in her early 30s that she had an underactive thyroid. Picture: Ray Ryan

Michelle Audley is a busy mum of five-year-old twins and a two-year-old toddler. She considers herself incredibly lucky. After she got married at 37, she immediately started trying to conceive, but struggled. She wouldn’t learn for several years that her fertility problems were connected to issues with her thyroid.

“I’d been diagnosed with an underactive thyroid in my early 30s and put on medication,” says the now 46-year-old, from Galway. “Looking back, the medication made little difference to my symptoms. I was still fatigued. I still suffered from brain fog, and my stomach and face would regularly get bloated. I came to accept that as the norm for me.”