Chelsea Football Club has long prided itself on being a trailblazer, not only on the pitch but also in the realm of player welfare and women’s health. In a landmark move for the Women’s Super League (WSL), the club has introduced a comprehensive fertility and maternity framework that gives its athletes the freedom to build families while maintaining elite‑level careers. This initiative, the first of its kind in the league, reflects Chelsea’s commitment to supporting players through every stage of their personal and professional lives. The new policy builds on earlier innovations that already set Chelsea apart.
In February 2020, head coach Emma Hayes launched a programme to monitor menstrual cycles and assess how hormonal fluctuations affect performance, making the club the first in the world to systematically track such data. The latest fertility and maternity provisions are a natural progression of that pioneering mindset. Chelsea has partnered with Fertility Plus, a leading London fertility clinic, to create a dedicated fund that any player can draw upon for a range of reproductive health services. The fund covers egg freezing, in‑vitro fertilisation (IVF), cervical smear tests, contraception, as well as counselling and educational workshops.
Access is voluntary; players decide how and when to use the resources, with the club’s staff providing discreet support throughout the process. The maternity component of the policy is equally robust. It includes personalised pregnancy and post‑natal 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 options, wage protection and subsidised childcare. In the words of head coach Sonia Bompastor, speaking to Sky Sports, the aim is to give players “the knowledge and choice to decide what they want for themselves, without having to pick between a professional career and motherhood.” Former goalkeeper and now commercial manager of the women’s side, Carly Telford, was instrumental in shaping the partnership with Fertility Plus.
She explained that the clinic was selected because it understands athletes as both sportspersons and women, offering services that go beyond simple egg‑freezing to include hormone management, endometriosis treatment, cycle tracking and comprehensive testing. "The players decide what to do with that information – it’s entirely their choice," Telford said, emphasizing the importance of autonomy. Bompastor’s own experience adds a personal dimension to the club’s efforts. She is a mother of four, sharing a home with Chelsea assistant coach Camille Abily.
During her playing days, limited options forced her to end her career earlier than she might have liked in order to start a family. "I didn’t have a real choice back then," she recalled.
"Now a club that can provide knowledge, support and real alternatives is a game‑changer for our athletes." Although no player has publicly announced plans to use the new resources, the feedback within the squad has been overwhelmingly positive. Telford, who remains close to many of the current players, reported that teammates welcomed the initiative and felt reassured that confidential medical information would stay between the club’s doctors and Fertility Plus specialists.
Chelsea is not entirely new to pregnancy in its ranks. Mid‑fielder Melanie Leupolz gave birth in 2022 and returned to first‑team action, 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 concerns are relevant for players of all ages, especially those in their thirties who may have postponed family planning. The dual programmes – fertility support and maternity care – are designed to work hand‑in‑hand, ensuring that players receive consistent assistance whether they are trying to conceive, dealing with reproductive health issues, or navigating the challenges of motherhood while competing at the highest level. Bompastor summed it up: "Being a mum and a professional athlete are both possible now; you no longer have to sacrifice one for the other." Beyond the immediate benefits for Chelsea’s players, the club hopes its high‑profile actions will spark a broader conversation about women’s health in sport. Telford believes that the visibility of a top‑tier club taking these steps can influence other football organisations, sports bodies and even businesses to reconsider how they support female athletes and, by extension, all women.
"We want to be a model that encourages others to think differently about women’s health, not just in football but across society," she said. The initiative also aims to empower athletes with knowledge about their own bodies. Many players, Telford noted, would have liked more information about menstrual health, longevity of cycles, and the impact of training on fertility during their careers.
By providing education, medical support and a safe space to discuss these topics, Chelsea hopes to foster a culture where athletes feel confident making informed decisions about their reproductive futures. In summary, Chelsea’s new fertility and maternity policies represent a significant step forward for the WSL and women’s sport in general. By offering comprehensive medical funding, personalised support, and a clear commitment to player autonomy, the club is setting a benchmark that other organisations will likely feel compelled to follow. The ultimate goal is simple yet profound: to ensure that every female footballer can pursue both her sporting ambitions and her personal aspirations without compromise.