As the world’s best athletes head to Paris for the upcoming Olympics, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) is trying to make it easier for new parents to compete at their best.
Author
Caitlin Fox-Harding
Lecturer/Researcher, Edith Cowan University
Led by an initiative from the IOC Athletes’ Commission, the IOC will enable, for the first time, a for parent-athletes to spend time with their young children including private breastfeeding spaces.
Traditionally, from entering the athletes’ village where participants and coaches stay during the Olympics. But the IOC gesture represents a significant advancement in addressing the challenges faced by new mums as they return to sport.
The move follows designed to support the wellbeing of players and coaches during pregnancy and after the birth of their children. This includes the addition of coaches receiving 14 weeks of paid maternity leave (whereas it was previously just for players) and additional considerations for parents seeking to adopt.
When it comes to supporting pregnant athletes and new mums returning to sport, what’s happening within Australia’s major sports?
The situation is complex and inconsistent
– water polo player Keesja Gofers, marathoner Genevieve Gregson and kayaker Alyce Wood – recently detailed their experiences in returning to their respective sports ahead of the 2024 Olympics. But what’s sometimes missing from these narratives are official governing policies to protect and encourage similar athletes.
Some Australian sports are doing their part.
The , , and have guidelines explicitly for their players.
Further examples, such as the , , as well as the can be found after some digging.
And while the , clarifications and additional negotiations were required to rectify additional considerations led by the Rugby League Players Association (RLPA).
And while was the first major team sport in Australia to establish a parental leave policy, was a significant impediment – the policy only protected athlete income until the end of their playing contract, which .
The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) also has on high performance sport and pregnancy.
It’s important all sporting organisations be proactive in supporting their athletes through this difficult juggling act of pregnancy, motherhood and sport.
How athletes are impacted
Without strong structures in place to support them, athletes can be disadvantaged in many ways.
Supportive postpartum return-to-play policies are important to , enable athletes to while expanding their families.
The which need to be addressed include varying postpartum recovery times and the difficulty of managing motherhood and sporting demands. , athletes need more social support.
What does the research say?
Frustratingly, research in this space has historically been quite limited, with organisations often relying on lived or of a few athletes.
With the growth of professional sporting opportunities for women, are being acknowledged as working mothers.
This growth has triggered broader discussions to identify best practices and address the .
Fortunately, high-quality research is on the rise.
For athletes, comprehensive strategies have been recommended in the postpartum period.
In late 2022, researchers out of the AIS helped develop the , which gathered perceptions and experiences of sport participation among high-performance pregnant or postpartum athletes.
The survey captured the experiences of athletes during pregnancy or returning to high-performance sport post-pregnancy and the , when released, should hopefully contribute to development of sport policies, structures, and processes to support the health and wellbeing of female athletes.
Key highlights from emphasises a variety of social factors impacting an athlete’s return to elite sport including childcare and access to maternity leave.
This growing body of evidence can then meaningfully aid sporting organisations in making informed decisions about their return-to-play policies.
Where do we go from here?
As of 2023, other international sporting bodies have launched .
The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) have to provide players returning from maternity leave immediate opportunities to compete for higher prize money and ranking points instead of starting from scratch.
And the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have recognised the risks posed to pregnant players due to the physicality of the game and support their athletes into alternative employment within the rugby network until their leave begins.
Without these policies in place, of sport can sometimes feel like an athlete’s only option, which can have detrimental physical, social and emotional effects.
Adopting a approach – combining biological, psychological and social factors – is a proactive example of perinatal athlete management.
Emphasis should also be placed on not just how the athlete was before their child but rather recognising what can be done to and re-conceptualise how the athlete adjusts and performs postpartum.
Hopefully progress continues to a new generation of athletes that reflect on the excellence possible when we invest in mothers.
Caitlin Fox-Harding does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
