Chelsea Football Club has a long history of pioneering initiatives, and the latest development comes off the pitch, focusing on the health and future of its women’s team. The Blues have become the first club in the Women’s Super League to roll out a comprehensive fertility and maternity framework that gives players the freedom to start families on their own terms while receiving the support needed to juggle elite sport and motherhood. The programme builds on earlier innovations.
In February 2020, head coach Emma Hayes introduced systematic menstrual‑cycle tracking, a move that highlighted how hormonal fluctuations can affect performance. The new fertility policy is the logical next step, extending the club’s commitment to the whole spectrum of female health. Chelsea has partnered with Fertility Plus, a leading London‑based fertility clinic, to create a dedicated fund that all squad members can draw upon.
The fund covers a wide range of services, from egg freezing and in‑vitro fertilisation (IVF) to routine smear tests, contraception, and specialist counselling. Workshops are also offered so players can make well‑informed decisions about their reproductive health. Access to the fund is entirely voluntary; athletes can use any part of it that suits their personal circumstances, and the club pledges full backing throughout the process. The maternity component of the policy is equally robust.
It includes personalised pregnancy monitoring, post‑natal recovery plans, and financial assistance for a partner or nanny to travel with the player for away fixtures for up to a year after her return to competition. Adoption and parental leave provisions have been enhanced, and the club will provide wage supplementation and subsidised childcare to ease the transition back to full‑time training. Sonia Bompastor, Chelsea’s head coach, explained to Sky Sports that the club’s aim is to give players “more knowledge around different opportunities” so they can choose the path that best fits their lives. She stressed that every athlete’s journey is unique and that the new policy removes the old dilemma of having to choose between a professional career and motherhood.
"Now both are possible," Bompastor said. Former goalkeeper and current commercial manager Carly Telford was instrumental in forging the partnership with Fertility Plus.
In her interview she described how she wanted a clinic that understood athletes as both sportspeople and women, offering services that go beyond simple egg‑freezing to include hormone management, endometriosis treatment, cycle tracking and comprehensive testing. "The choices are up to the individual," Telford noted, adding that the club’s support signals a broader shift in how women’s bodies are respected within football. Bompastor’s own experience underscores the importance of the initiative. She and her partner, Chelsea assistant coach Camille Abily, have four children.
During her playing days, Bompastor felt she had limited options for starting a family and ultimately retired earlier than she might have otherwise, fearing that motherhood would clash with her athletic ambitions. She reflected that the lack of information and support made the decision extremely difficult. Today, she is proud to lead a club that can provide the knowledge, conversation, and practical assistance she once lacked. While no player has publicly announced plans to use the new resources, the policy has been well‑received within the squad.
Telford, who remains close to many of the current players, said she consulted a few teammates and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive: "This would be really good, keep us across it." She assured that any medical information shared with Fertility Plus will remain confidential between the clinic’s doctors and the club’s medical staff. Chelsea is not new to navigating pregnancy in the team. Mid‑fielder Melanie Leupolz gave birth in 2022 and returned to the pitch, while Zecira Musovic took maternity leave after moving back to Sweden in 2025.
Their experiences helped shape the club’s understanding of the logistical and physiological challenges that come with combining elite sport and parenthood. The policy also prompts broader conversations about older players and their fertility choices.
Former captain Millie Bright, who announced her pregnancy after retiring, highlighted that women in their thirties often feel they must put family plans on hold. Telford hopes the club’s visibility will encourage other organisations to consider similar support structures. In practical terms, the two programmes—fertility support and maternity care—work hand‑in‑hand.
Players can access fertility assessments, hormone therapy, or IVF if they wish to conceive, while the maternity plan ensures financial, medical, and logistical backing throughout pregnancy and the early months of parenthood. Bompastor emphasized that becoming a mother is a learning experience that no textbook can teach; having a supportive network makes the transition smoother for high‑performance athletes who now juggle two full‑time roles.
Beyond the immediate benefits to the squad, Telford hopes Chelsea’s approach will ripple across the sport and wider society. She believes that the club’s platform can raise awareness about women’s health issues, inspire other football clubs, and even influence businesses to rethink how they support female employees. "We want to be followed for the things we're doing around the team that have a wider impact when it comes to women in general," she said.
The initiative also aims to empower women to take greater control of their bodies, understand the effects of genetics, lifestyle, and training on menstrual health, and make informed decisions about long‑term fertility. By providing education, medical options, and a supportive environment, Chelsea hopes to spark a larger conversation about women’s health in sport and beyond. In summary, Chelsea’s groundbreaking fertility and maternity policy signals a shift toward holistic athlete care, recognizing that players are both footballers and individuals with personal aspirations. The partnership with Fertility Plus, the extensive range of services, and the club’s commitment to confidentiality and flexibility set a new benchmark for the Women’s Super League and potentially for football worldwide.