Chelsea Women have become the first team in the Women’s Super League to implement comprehensive fertility and maternity support policies for their players. The club has partnered with Fertility Plus, a prominent London fertility clinic, to establish a fund accessible to all players that covers services including egg freezing, IVF, smear tests, contraception, counselling, and educational workshops.
The Player Maternity policy provides extensive support during and after pregnancy, including personalized recovery assistance, financial support for childcare or partner travel during away fixtures for up to one year following a player’s return to competition, enhanced adoption and parental leave provisions, wage support, and subsidized childcare options. The policies are designed to be voluntary and individualized, allowing each player to access resources according to her specific needs and circumstances.
Chelsea head coach Sonia Bompastor emphasized the club’s commitment to enabling players to pursue both professional and personal goals, stating that athletes no longer need to choose between their careers and motherhood. Bompastor drew on her own experience as a player, noting that she had limited options and felt compelled to end her playing career earlier than desired in order to start a family.
Carly Telford, a former Chelsea goalkeeper and current commercial manager for the women’s team, led the collaboration with Fertility Plus. She highlighted the importance of offering comprehensive support that treats female athletes as whole persons, not just competitors, and addresses the complexities of fertility, hormones, and women’s health throughout and beyond their sporting careers. Telford indicated that initial feedback from squad members has been positive, though no players have publicly announced plans to utilize the new resources.
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