Chelsea Football Club has long prided itself on being a trailblazer, not only on the pitch but also in the way it supports the wellbeing of its female athletes. The latest example of this forward‑thinking approach is the introduction of a comprehensive fertility and maternity programme, the first of its kind in the Women’s Super League.
The new policy gives players the freedom to pursue family‑building options on their own terms while providing the practical support needed to juggle elite sport and motherhood. The initiative builds on earlier innovations at the club. In February 2020, head coach Emma Hayes introduced systematic tracking of menstrual cycles to understand how hormonal fluctuations affect performance.
That data‑driven mindset laid the groundwork for today’s broader health strategy. Chelsea has now partnered with Fertility Plus, a leading London fertility clinic, to create a dedicated fund that all players can access. The fund covers a wide range of services, including egg freezing, in‑vitro fertilisation (IVF), routine smear tests, contraception, as well as counselling sessions and educational workshops.
Importantly, the programme is optional; players can use any component they wish, with the club offering logistical and emotional backing. The maternity component of the policy is equally robust. It provides personalised pregnancy and post‑natal recovery plans, financial assistance for a partner or nanny to travel to away fixtures for up to a year after a player returns, enhanced adoption and parental‑leave terms, wage protection and subsidised childcare. In the words of head coach Sonia Bompastor, speaking to Sky Sports, the club’s aim is to give athletes the knowledge and resources to make informed decisions about their bodies and futures.
"You no longer have to choose between a professional career and becoming a mother – both are now possible," she said. Former goalkeeper and current commercial manager Carly Telford was instrumental in shaping the partnership with Fertility Plus.
She explained that the club needed a provider that understood athletes as both high‑performance competitors and women with unique health concerns. The clinic’s services go beyond egg freezing; they include hormone management, endometriosis treatment, cycle tracking, and comprehensive testing. Telford emphasised that the ultimate choice rests with each player, and that the club’s role is to present a menu of options that respect individual aspirations. Bompastor’s personal experience adds another layer of relevance.
She and her partner, Chelsea assistant coach Camille Abily, are parents of four. During her own playing days, Bompastor felt constrained by a lack of reproductive choices and ultimately retired earlier than she might have otherwise, fearing that motherhood would jeopardise her career. She reflected, "At the time I didn’t have the knowledge or the support to balance a top‑level career with having a family.
Now, seeing this policy, I feel proud to be part of a club that gives its players the tools to do both." Although no player has yet publicly announced plans to use the new resources, the club has received positive feedback internally. Telford, who remains close to many squad members, reported that players appreciate the confidentiality and the sense that the club is looking out for their long‑term health. "The information stays between the doctors at Fertility Plus and our medical staff, and the players feel comfortable knowing they have these options," she said. Chelsea is not new to navigating pregnancy and motherhood within its ranks.
Midfielder Melanie Leupolz gave birth in 2022 and returned to the first team, while Zecira Musovic took maternity leave after moving back to Sweden in 2025. More recently, former captain Millie Bright announced her pregnancy after retiring, highlighting that fertility considerations extend beyond active players to those contemplating life after football. The dual programmes—fertility support and maternity care—are designed to work in tandem. By addressing both the desire to start a family and the broader spectrum of gynecological health, Chelsea aims to remove the binary perception that a woman must sacrifice one ambition for the other.
Bompastor summed it up: "Being a mother and an elite athlete are two full‑time jobs. With the right support, you can excel at both." Beyond the immediate benefits to the squad, the club hopes its example will spark a wider conversation about women’s health in sport. Telford expressed a desire for other clubs, leagues and governing bodies such as the FA to adopt similar policies. "We have a platform that reaches millions.
If we can influence other organisations to think differently about female athletes, we’ll be making a lasting impact on women’s health overall," she said. In her remarks, Telford also highlighted the educational gap many athletes face regarding their own bodies. She wished she had known more about menstrual health, fertility windows, and long‑term reproductive planning during her playing career. The new programme, she believes, fills that knowledge void and empowers players to take control of their bodies throughout and beyond their sporting lives.
Overall, Chelsea’s landmark fertility and maternity policy signals a shift toward holistic athlete care, where personal wellbeing is treated as integral to professional performance. By offering financial backing, medical expertise, and a culture of openness, the club is setting a precedent that could reshape how women's football—and perhaps sport in general—approaches the intersection of career and family.