Chelsea Football Club has a long history of pioneering initiatives, and the latest development comes off the pitch, where the Blues are reshaping the conversation around women's health and professional sport. In a historic move, Chelsea has become the first Women's Super League (WSL) side to roll out a comprehensive fertility and maternity framework that gives its players real freedom to start families on their own terms while still competing at the highest level. The programme, built in partnership with London’s leading fertility clinic Fertility Plus, provides financial, medical and logistical support for everything from egg freezing and IVF to post‑natal recovery and childcare.
It is not a mandatory requirement; rather, it is a resource that any player can tap into whenever she feels ready, with the club’s backing every step of the way. The initiative builds on earlier steps taken by the club. In February 2020, head coach Emma Hayes introduced systematic menstrual‑cycle tracking to understand how hormonal fluctuations affect performance. That data‑driven approach laid the groundwork for a more holistic view of female athletes’ wellbeing, and the new fertility policy is the logical next chapter.
By offering a dedicated fund that covers procedures such as egg cryopreservation, in‑vitro fertilisation, smear tests, contraception and counselling, Chelsea aims to empower its squad with the knowledge and options they need to make informed reproductive choices. The maternity component of the policy is equally extensive.
It includes personalised pregnancy and postpartum recovery plans, financial assistance for a partner or nanny to travel with the player to away fixtures for up to a year after her return, enhanced adoption and parental‑leave provisions, wage protection and subsidised childcare. In the words of head coach Sonia Bompastor, who spoke to Sky Sports, the club’s priority is to give players “the knowledge around different opportunities” so they no longer have to choose between a professional career and motherhood. "Every player is different, every individual is different, they have a different journey and you can make a choice based on what you know and what is available for you," Bompastor explained. "You don’t have to choose anymore between your professional career and your personal life being a mum.
Now, both are possible." Carly Telford, former goalkeeper and now commercial manager for the women’s side, was instrumental in forging the partnership with Fertility Plus. She told Sky Sports that she wanted a clinic that understood athletes first and women second, offering a full suite of services that go beyond simple egg freezing.
"I wanted to find a fertility clinic that offered more than just optional things, but to give choices around hormones, endometriosis, cycle tracking, testing – something all‑encompassing around the female body," Telford said. She emphasized that the ultimate decision rests with each player, and that the club’s role is to provide a supportive environment where those decisions can be made without pressure. The policy is not merely theoretical.
Chelsea has already navigated pregnancies within its ranks. Mid‑fielder Melanie Leupolz gave birth in 2022 and returned to first‑team action, while Zecira Musovic stepped away in June 2025 to give birth later that year.
Their experiences highlighted the need for structured support, prompting the club to formalise what had previously been ad‑hoc. Telford noted that the feedback from current squad members has been overwhelmingly positive, with many players expressing relief that the club is “keeping us across it” and offering confidential access to medical expertise. Bompastor’s own personal journey adds weight to the programme.
She is a mother of four, sharing a home with her partner and Chelsea assistant coach Camille Abily. During her playing days, limited options forced her to retire earlier than she might have otherwise, feeling that motherhood and elite sport were mutually exclusive.
"When I reflect on my own story and experience, I didn’t really have the choice," she recalled. "Now, to have a club who is able to support the players, bringing them the knowledge, allowing them to talk about that subject is really important for us and giving them different opportunities to become a mum when they decide to." While no player has publicly announced plans to use the new resources yet – a decision that remains private – the existence of the policy alone signals a cultural shift. Telford hopes the visibility of Chelsea’s approach will spark broader conversations about women’s health in sport and beyond.
She believes that the club’s global platform can influence other football organisations, businesses and governing bodies to reconsider how they support female athletes. "We want to be followed for the things we’re doing around the team that have a wider impact when it comes to women in general," Telford explained.
"If we can make businesses, other football clubs and other sports think differently around their women, that is what we want to do." The initiative also addresses the concerns of older players who may be thinking about fertility later in their careers. Former captain Millie Bright, now retired, recently announced her pregnancy, underscoring that the need for support does not disappear with age. Telford believes that players in their thirties, who have often postponed family planning due to sporting commitments, will benefit most from the flexibility the policy offers.
In practical terms, the programme provides a clear pathway: players can access Fertility Plus’s specialists, undergo necessary testing, receive counselling on reproductive health, and, if they choose, pursue assisted reproduction or adopt. Throughout, the club ensures confidentiality, with medical information shared only between the clinic and the club’s designated health professionals. The broader impact of Chelsea’s policy could be profound.
By normalising discussions about menstruation, fertility, pregnancy and postpartum recovery, the club challenges longstanding taboos and encourages a more holistic view of athlete wellbeing. It also sets a benchmark for the WSL, the Football Association and other leagues worldwide, showing that supporting female athletes’ reproductive choices is both feasible and beneficial to performance. In summary, Chelsea’s landmark fertility and maternity policy represents a decisive step toward gender‑inclusive sport.
It equips players with financial aid, medical expertise and flexible leave arrangements, while also fostering an environment where open dialogue about women’s health is welcomed. As the first club in the world to integrate such comprehensive support, Chelsea not only protects the careers of its current squad but also paves the way for future generations of women who can aspire to excel on the pitch without sacrificing personal aspirations of motherhood.
The club’s commitment demonstrates that, with the right structures in place, being a professional footballer and a mother are no longer mutually exclusive goals.