Juggling babies and work can prove taxing for the ‘average’ woman but, when it comes to female athletes, it can be even harder.
Professional athletes are required to maintain their fitness despite having to take more maternity leave than someone with a desk job.
In 1994, Joy Fawcett, an American footballer (soccer player) became the first female footballer to have children mid-career. She went on to play for a decade after first giving birth, playing all of the minutes in the next three Women’s World Cups. When playing domestically, for the San Diego Spirit, Fawcett returned to playing within six weeks of giving birth to her third child. She even breastfed her daughter at half time.
Alex Morgan is mere weeks away from giving birth but had set her sights on competing in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics - before it was postponed - but what hurdles has she had to overcome and what lies ahead?
During Pregnancy
Women who play professional sports need to be in peak physical condition and that means the second they are no longer able to keep up their training and fitness in team sessions, they stop being chosen to play.
And then, as the pregnancy progresses, they can’t train at all and have to sit back and watch their team play without them, all the time knowing their own fitness levels are reducing.
NHS guidelines now encourage pregnant women to maintain “normal daily physical activity or exercise for as long as you feel comfortable” providing that the “exercise is not dangerous for your baby”. It goes on to state: “There is some evidence that active women are less likely to experience problems in later pregnancy and labour.”
However, some countries’ government health advisors advise against pregnant women continuing to play football altogether once there is a risk of causing damage to their unborn child.
Post-Pregnancy
After giving birth, exercise has proven to be healthy for new mothers. When it comes to female footballers, a return to the sport is encouraged by sports scientists, but some choose to take a prolonged amount of time off to care for their children.
In 2013, Arsenal midfielder Katie Chapman had her contract terminated by the England national team after asking for some time away from international duty to spend with her young children. Chapman had only asked then-Manager, Hope Powell, for a short break but a couple of hours later found her contract had been cancelled.
Before she was dropped, Chapman had had a successful career in England's midfield and made 82 appearances, her debut coming when she was 17 years old in 2000.
USA’s Alex Morgan has taken the opposite approach to Chapman, announcing she would play at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo just three months after giving birth. Whilst ambitious - and entirely reliant on her fitness levels being good enough for her to be picked for Team USA - Morgan made it clear she expects her professional career to continue at the same level after she becomes a mother.
At the age of 30, Morgan is by no means old, but the average age of retirement from domestic football is 35, and appearances for national teams are few and far between in the final years of a player’s career.
Whilst it’s possible that she could play in another world cup and the 2024 Olympic Games in France, Morgan will want to make the most of her time at the top of the game, and won’t want to miss important chances to represent her country.
Amy Rodreguez - who plays for Utah Royals - took a break from football from being three months pregnant to four months after giving birth. She paid for a personal trainer during her time off, but her contract meant that her team was required to give her financial support, meaning she was able to do so. “My coaches checked in here and there, but mostly I was on my own,” she told FIFA.
Cameroon striker Madeleine Ngono Mani says she does not get assistance from her club and it would be a "really big step forward" if a policy of supporting players on maternity leave was introduced.
The 31-year-old has not seen her 13-month-old for almost a month and he remains at home with his dad in Cameroon.
The rules
The way pregnancy for professional female footballers is dealt with differs around the world. In America, Rodreguez’ contract covered pregnancy and ensured she was financially stable through her break from the game.
For the USA national team, women receive 75 per cent of their salary on maternity leave for up to one year, and a player has either three months or two training camps to return to full fitness, depending on which is longer. A player can receive 75 per cent of salary for up to three months when adopting a child and £38 daily expenses for child-care during training and play.
Since 1996, US Soccer has allowed children into each training camp, paying for the cost of one nanny - usually a close friend or relative - plus their airfare and accommodation.
In 2011, the European Parliament ruled that all workplaces should give maternity leave at full pay for 20 weeks, followed by a statutory rate of £125 for the remaining 36. However, professional sportswomen often do not enjoy these benefits at work. This is due to professional sportspeople originally being solely men.
Yet the FA now has a player-approved maternity agreement for England Women players, stating it will support anyone who wishes to take time off to look after their children as well as provide support to mothers during their maternity leave.
However, this is only the case for players representing their country. Conventional league contracts don't include any kind of arrangements specifically managing maternity.
Spanish breakthrough
Spain’s top-flight female footballers have recently signed a new agreement on pay. This comes following a strike last November. A breakdown in talks over a minimum salary and part-time contracts, after months of negotiations, saw 93% of the players vote in favour of industrial action.
Footballers in the women’s Primera División have finally agreed to new regulations. This guarantees the players a minimum annual salary of €16,000 (£13,300) as well as paid holiday
and maternity leave, among other benefits.
So, in conclusion?
It can be difficult to take a career break in any profession. Such a break can reduce your potential and earning capacity, but in a profession which requires a peak of physical fitness, and which is already time-limited, then maternity leave is even more of an obstacle.
If we want female players to excel in their game whilst having the choice of having a family life, then we need to ensure policies are in place - and are followed - to protect that right.
Have your say
Does your local team give thorough maternity care?
