Chelsea Football Club has long prided itself on being a trailblazer, not only on the pitch but also in the way it supports its players off it. In a move that could reshape the landscape of women's sport, the Blues have become the first Women's Super League side to roll out a comprehensive fertility and maternity programme. The initiative gives players the freedom to build a family on their own terms while providing the resources and financial backing needed to juggle elite football with motherhood. The club's commitment to female health began years ago when manager Emma Hayes introduced systematic menstrual‑cycle tracking in February 2020, recognising how hormonal fluctuations can affect performance.
The latest policy builds on that foundation, offering a full suite of services through a partnership with Fertility Plus, one of London’s leading fertility clinics. The clinic’s fund is open to every member of the squad and covers a wide range of treatments and preventative care, including egg freezing, in‑vitro fertilisation, smear tests, contraception, counselling, and educational workshops. Access is entirely voluntary; players can engage with the programme in whatever way suits their personal circumstances, and the club pledges full confidentiality. The maternity component of the policy is equally extensive.
It provides personalised support throughout pregnancy and postpartum recovery, financial assistance for a partner or nanny to travel with the player to away fixtures for up to a year after her return, and enhanced adoption and parental‑leave provisions. In addition, wage protection and subsidised childcare are on offer, ensuring that a player’s income is not compromised by the decision to become a parent. Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor highlighted the significance of the scheme in an exclusive interview with Sky Sports. She explained that the club’s aim is to empower athletes with knowledge and options, removing the false dichotomy between a professional career and family life.
“Every player is unique, with her own journey,” Bompastor said. “Now they no longer have to choose between being a top‑level footballer and being a mother – both are possible.” Former goalkeeper and current commercial manager Carly Telford was instrumental in forging the partnership with Fertility Plus.
She told Sky Sports that she had witnessed firsthand the challenges women face when navigating fertility decisions alongside a sporting career. Telford wanted a clinic that understood athletes as both competitors and women, offering services that go beyond simple egg‑freezing to include hormone management, endometriosis treatment, cycle tracking, and comprehensive testing. "The choices are ultimately up to the individual," she emphasized, noting that the club’s role is to provide the information and support needed for informed decisions.
Bompastor’s own experience adds a personal dimension to the policy. She and her partner, Chelsea assistant coach Camille Abily, are parents of four children.
During her playing days, Bompastor felt constrained by limited options and believed that early retirement was the only viable route to motherhood. Reflecting on that period, she said, “I didn’t have the choice.
I had to end my career sooner than I wanted because I wanted a family.” The new programme, she believes, will spare future generations of players from having to make such sacrifices. Although no Chelsea player has publicly announced plans to use the new resources, the response within the squad has been overwhelmingly positive. Telford, who remains close to many of the current players, shared that teammates welcomed the initiative and appreciated the club’s proactive stance on reproductive health.
Confidentiality agreements ensure that any medical information stays strictly between the player, the club’s medical team, and Fertility Plus. Chelsea is not entirely new to pregnancy in its ranks. Midfielder Melanie Leupolz gave birth in 2022 and returned to first‑team action, while Zecira Musovic took maternity leave in 2025 before rejoining the squad. Their experiences helped shape the club’s understanding of the practical challenges faced by athlete‑mothers, from training adjustments to travel logistics.
The programme also looks ahead to older players who may be considering family planning later in their careers. Former captain Millie Bright, who announced her pregnancy after retiring, exemplifies the demographic that the club hopes to support.
Telford noted that women in their thirties often feel pressured to postpone or abandon family aspirations, and the new policies aim to change that narrative. In Bompastor’s words, motherhood is a skill learned on the job, and having a supportive environment makes a profound difference. “When you are a high‑level athlete and a mum, you essentially have two full‑time jobs,” she said.
“The club’s backing allows us to excel at both.” Beyond the immediate benefits to players, Telford hopes the initiative will spark a broader conversation about women’s health in sport. She believes that Chelsea’s high profile can influence other clubs, governing bodies, and sponsors to adopt similar measures, ultimately improving the welfare of women across all levels of competition.
"We want to be a model that encourages businesses and other football organisations to think differently about their female athletes," she explained. The Chelsea fertility and maternity programme represents a significant step toward gender equity in professional sport. By offering comprehensive medical support, financial safeguards, and a culture that normalises open dialogue about reproductive choices, the club is paving the way for future generations of female athletes to thrive both on the field and in their personal lives. This holistic approach could well become the new benchmark for clubs worldwide, ensuring that the dream of playing elite football does not have to be sacrificed for the desire to start a family.