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 sporting achievements, the club is now leading the way in supporting female athletes’ reproductive health and family planning. In a historic move, the Blues have become the inaugural Women's Super League (WSL) side to roll out a comprehensive fertility and maternity framework that empowers players to start families on their own terms while providing the necessary post‑natal assistance to juggle elite sport and motherhood. The club’s commitment to women’s health dates back to February 2020, when manager Emma Hayes introduced systematic menstrual‑cycle tracking to understand how hormonal fluctuations 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 most respected fertility clinics. The arrangement creates a dedicated fund that all players can draw upon for a range of reproductive‑health needs, including egg freezing, in‑vitro fertilisation (IVF), cervical smear tests, contraception, counselling, and educational workshops. Access is voluntary; players decide how and when to use the resources, with Chelsea providing logistical and emotional support throughout the process. The maternity component of the policy is equally robust.
It outlines personalised care plans for pregnancy and postpartum recovery, financial assistance for a partner or nanny to travel to away fixtures 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 club’s aim is to give athletes "the knowledge and options to make informed decisions about their bodies and their futures, without forcing them to choose between a professional career and motherhood." Carly Telford, former England goalkeeper and now commercial manager for the women’s team, was instrumental in shaping the collaboration with Fertility Plus.
In an exclusive interview she described her motivation: "I wanted a partner that understood us first as athletes and second as women, offering more than just egg‑freezing – from hormone management to endometriosis treatment, cycle tracking, and comprehensive testing. The ultimate decision remains with the player, but having those choices available signals that the club values them as whole people, not just footballers." Bompastor’s personal experience reinforces the policy’s relevance. She and her partner, Chelsea assistant coach Camille Abily, are parents of four.
Reflecting on her own playing days, Bompastor admitted that limited options forced her to retire earlier than she might have otherwise, because she felt she had to sacrifice a family for her career. "Back then I didn’t have the knowledge or the support to balance both," she said. "Now, with this programme, we can give our players the information, the medical backing, and the cultural acceptance they need to become mothers while still competing at the highest level." Although no player has publicly announced plans to utilise the new resources, internal feedback has been positive.
Telford noted that conversations with squad members revealed a strong desire for the programme, with many players expressing relief that the club is proactively addressing these issues. Confidentiality is guaranteed; medical information is shared only between Fertility Plus specialists and the club’s designated health professionals. Chelsea is not entirely new to pregnancy within its ranks.
Midfielder Melanie Leupolz gave birth in 2022 and returned to first‑team action, while forward Zecira Musovic took maternity leave in 2025 before rejoining after her baby’s arrival. These precedents demonstrate that with appropriate support, athletes can resume top‑level competition after childbirth. The policy also prompts broader conversations about the fertility concerns of older players.
Former captain Millie Bright, who announced her pregnancy after retiring, highlighted that women in their thirties may feel pressure to postpone family plans until after their playing days. Telford hopes the club’s example will encourage other organisations to consider similar support structures, especially for athletes approaching the latter stages of their careers. Beyond the immediate benefits for Chelsea’s squad, the initiative aims to spark industry‑wide change. Telford envisions the club’s high profile serving as a catalyst for other football clubs, sports governing bodies, and commercial partners to re‑evaluate how they address women’s health.
"We have a platform that reaches millions; if we can shift the narrative around female athletes’ bodies, we can influence broader societal attitudes toward women’s reproductive rights and health," she said. The programme’s holistic approach links fertility care with maternity support, recognising that the two are intertwined. By offering everything from cycle education to childcare subsidies, Chelsea ensures that players are not forced to make binary choices between their careers and personal lives.
Bompastor summed it up: "Being a mother and a professional athlete are not mutually exclusive. With the right infrastructure, we can excel at both." In summary, Chelsea’s landmark fertility and maternity policy sets a new benchmark for the WSL and women's sport globally. It provides players with financial, medical, and educational resources, respects their privacy, and affirms the club’s commitment to treating athletes as whole individuals.
As other clubs observe Chelsea’s pioneering steps, the hope is that similar frameworks will become standard practice, ultimately improving the health, wellbeing, and career longevity of female athletes everywhere.