Chelsea Football Club has long prided itself on pioneering initiatives, both on the pitch and behind the scenes. While many of its firsts have been celebrated in matches, the club’s most significant contributions now lie in the realm of female athletes' health and family planning.
In a historic move, the Blues have become the inaugural team in the Women’s Super League to roll out a comprehensive fertility and maternity framework, granting players the freedom to start families in the manner that suits them best and providing the post‑natal assistance required to juggle elite sport with motherhood. The club’s commitment to women’s health began earlier, when manager Emma Hayes introduced menstrual‑cycle tracking in February 2020, a first for any professional football side.
By monitoring how cycles affect performance, Chelsea laid the groundwork for a more scientific, individualized approach to player welfare. The latest policy builds directly on that foundation, taking the conversation from data collection to concrete support.
Chelsea has partnered with Fertility Plus, one of London’s most respected fertility clinics, to create a dedicated fund that any player can draw on throughout her career. The fund covers a wide array of services, including egg freezing, in‑vitro fertilisation (IVF), routine smear tests, contraception, and specialist counselling.
Workshops and educational sessions are also part of the package, ensuring that athletes have the knowledge to make informed decisions about their reproductive health. Importantly, the scheme is entirely voluntary; players may access any component they wish, with full backing from the club.
The newly introduced Player Maternity Policy is equally extensive. It offers personalised guidance throughout pregnancy and the post‑partum recovery period, financial assistance for a partner or nanny to travel to away fixtures for up to a year after a player returns to training, and enhanced provisions for adoption and parental leave. Wage protection and subsidised childcare are also built into the agreement, allowing mothers to focus on both their families and their football without undue financial strain.
Head coach Sonia Bompastor explained to Sky Sports that supporting players holistically has always been a priority for Chelsea. "We aim to empower our athletes with knowledge about every option available to them," she said.
"Every player’s journey is unique, and no one should have to choose between a professional career and motherhood. Both paths are now viable within our club." Former goalkeeper and current commercial manager Carly Telford has been instrumental in shaping the partnership with Fertility Plus. In an exclusive interview she highlighted the need for a clinic that understands athletes not just as sportspeople but as women with complex health needs.
"We wanted a provider that went beyond egg freezing to address hormones, endometriosis, cycle tracking and comprehensive testing," Telford noted. "The ultimate decision rests with the individual, but having those options available changes the entire conversation around family planning for our squad." Bompastor’s own experience underscores the relevance of the new policy.
She and her partner, Chelsea assistant coach Camille Abily, are parents to four children. Reflecting on her playing days, Bompastor admitted that limited fertility options forced her to retire earlier than she might have otherwise. "At the time, I felt I had to sacrifice my career to become a mother," she recalled. "Now, with the club’s support, future players will not face the same dilemma." Although no Chelsea player has publicly announced plans to use the new resources, the club has already seen positive feedback.
Telford, who remains close to the current squad, said many players expressed enthusiasm when the initiative was unveiled. "The response has been overwhelmingly supportive," she said.
"Players feel reassured that confidential medical advice will be shared only between Fertility Plus specialists and our in‑house doctors." Chelsea is not new to navigating pregnancy within its ranks. Midfielder 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, prompting the club to consider how older players might approach fertility later in their careers. The dual programmes—fertility support and maternity care—operate in tandem, offering a seamless safety net for athletes at any stage of their personal lives.
Bompastor emphasised that motherhood is a skill learned on the job, and that having access to peers who have already navigated the challenges is invaluable. "When you are a high‑level athlete and a mother, you are essentially holding down two full‑time jobs," she explained. "Our policies are designed to give players the practical and emotional support they need to excel in both roles." Beyond the immediate benefits to the squad, Telford hopes Chelsea’s visibility will spark broader conversations about women’s health in sport. She believes the club’s global platform can influence other football organisations, businesses, and sporting bodies to adopt similar measures.
"We have a responsibility to use our reach to promote better health outcomes for women everywhere," she asserted. "Understanding our bodies—whether we are athletes or not—should be a priority for all of society." In summary, Chelsea’s groundbreaking fertility and maternity policies mark a significant step forward for women’s football. By offering comprehensive medical support, financial assistance, and flexible leave options, the club ensures that its players can pursue both professional excellence and personal fulfillment without having to compromise.
This holistic approach not only sets a new benchmark for the WSL but also sends a powerful message to the wider sporting world: when clubs invest in the full spectrum of athlete wellbeing, they empower women to thrive on and off the field.