Pregnant Pitches: Navigating Football Before and During Pregnancy

With more high-profile footballers smashing expectations and returning to peak performance after childbirth, pregnancy is no longer seen as a barrier to elite football. In order to optimize postpartum return to performance it is essential that the football community proactively work together to obtain up to date information related to pregnancy and apply this to the context of current female football. To create scalable guidance for safe football participation during pregnancy and effective protocols for successful performance, we must first establish the current state of scientific research on the topic. Through appropriately standardized and timely player education, targeted medical screening, monitoring, and intervention, the reproductive health and fertility potential of female footballers can be optimized in support of their family planning wishes and long-term football participation and performance. The state of the science related to exercise and athletic performance in pregnancy has evolved in recent years. This evolution requires articulation and integration with the current state of female football. The bridge between these two spheres highlights the need for maintained football participation throughout pregnancy, following appropriate precautions, to reduce the risk of detraining and to help support players’ psychosocial well-being and sense of athletic identity. This review articulates the state of the science as relevant to the contemporary female footballer together with their support system, to provide the needed foundation for the application of these considerations into practice. Greater support for footballer-mothers keeps more women in the game for longer, and inspires women and girls to get involved in a sport that can be continued as a lifelong endeavor.