Chelsea have always prided themselves on being pioneers, and this time the innovation is happening off the pitch. The club has become the first team in the Women’s Super League to roll out a comprehensive fertility and maternity framework that gives its athletes the freedom to build families while maintaining elite performance levels. This landmark policy not only offers financial and logistical support for pregnancy and post‑natal recovery, but also provides a suite of reproductive health services through a partnership with London’s leading clinic, Fertility Plus. The initiative builds on earlier work by manager Emma Hayes, who in February 2020 introduced systematic menstrual‑cycle tracking to understand how hormonal fluctuations affect performance.
The new programme is the logical next step, extending care from cycle monitoring to the full spectrum of reproductive choices, including egg freezing, IVF, contraceptive advice, smear tests and counselling. Access to the fund is voluntary; players can tap into the resources in whatever way suits their individual circumstances, with the club’s backing.
Key elements of the maternity policy include personalised pregnancy and post‑partum recovery plans, financial assistance for a partner or nanny to travel to away games for up to a year after a player returns, enhanced adoption and parental‑leave provisions, wage protection and subsidised childcare. Head coach Sonia Bompastor explained to Sky Sports that the aim is to give players "the knowledge and the options to decide what works for them" and to eliminate the old dilemma of choosing between a professional career and motherhood. Former goalkeeper and women’s team commercial manager Carly Telford was instrumental in shaping the collaboration with Fertility Plus.
She told Sky Sports that she wanted a partner that understood athletes as both sportspersons and women, offering services that go beyond simple egg‑freezing to cover hormone management, endometriosis treatment, cycle tracking and comprehensive testing. "The choices are ultimately up to the individual," she said, emphasizing that the club’s role is to provide a supportive environment where players can consider family planning without compromising their careers. Bompastor’s own experience adds weight to the policy.
She and her partner, Chelsea assistant coach Camille Abily, have four children. Reflecting on her playing days, Bompastor noted that limited options forced her to retire earlier than she might have otherwise, because she felt she had to pick between a successful football career and becoming a mother. "I didn’t have the choice back then," she explained. "Now a club that openly supports pregnancy, provides information and offers practical help is a game‑changer for our players." Although no Chelsea player has publicly announced plans to use the new resources, Telford reports that the response within the squad has been overwhelmingly positive.
Players have expressed relief at having a confidential, medically‑backed support system and appreciate the club’s willingness to discuss what has traditionally been a private matter. The confidentiality clause ensures that any medical information stays between the player, Fertility Plus doctors and the club’s medical staff. Chelsea is not new to managing pregnancy in football.
Midfielder Melanie Leupolz gave birth in 2022 and returned to the first team, while Zecira Musovic took maternity leave in 2025 before re‑joining the squad. The club’s recent policy also takes into account older players who may be thinking about fertility later in their careers.
Former captain Millie Bright, who announced her pregnancy after retiring, highlighted that many women in their thirties are now confronting these decisions for the first time. The dual focus on fertility and maternity care creates a holistic support network: players can address long‑term reproductive health while also receiving practical assistance when they decide to start a family. Bompastor summed up the philosophy, stating that motherhood is a full‑time job in addition to being a high‑level athlete, and that clubs must provide the infrastructure to let women excel at both.
Beyond the immediate benefits for Chelsea’s athletes, Telford hopes the programme will spark a broader conversation about women’s health in sport. She believes that the visibility of a major club taking a proactive stance can influence other teams, governing bodies and businesses to rethink how they support female athletes and women in general. "We have a platform that reaches millions," she said. "If we can shift the narrative around reproductive choice and health, we’ll be making a lasting impact beyond football." In her view, education about the female body—from menstrual cycles to long‑term fertility—should be a standard part of an athlete’s development.
She wishes she had had that knowledge earlier in her own career to optimise performance and plan for life after sport. The new Chelsea policy finally offers that information, alongside concrete options for family planning, thereby empowering players to take control of their bodies and futures.
Overall, Chelsea’s groundbreaking fertility and maternity initiative sets a new benchmark for women’s football, demonstrating that professional ambition and parenthood need not be mutually exclusive. By providing comprehensive medical support, financial assistance and a culture of openness, the club is paving the way for a more inclusive and sustainable future for female athletes everywhere.