Chelsea midfielder Melanie Leupolz discusses her pregnancy journey as a professional footballer

On International Women’s Day, Chelsea midfielder Melanie Leupolz discusses her pregnancy journey as a professional footballer on Inside the WSL.

The Germany international gave birth towards the end of 2022 and has already played her first minutes since her return, all while juggling a newborn baby boy.

Sitting down with former defender Fern Whelan – a mother herself – Leupolz revealed how she balanced pregnancy, her job as a professional athlete and how the news was received by Chelsea.

She explained: “It was a nice surprise. It’s always a surprise, you can’t plan a baby, but when it was happening, it was a nice feeling. Of course I was a little bit afraid to tell my club, but the reaction was amazing, they were so happy for me.

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“It really helped me because I know I have my responsibilities in this club, but getting the support straight away was amazing.

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“I had Covid, then I came back and had a training session and it was just horrible, it was too intense. But the day before, I found out I was pregnant so I think that was the reason why it was so hard for me rather than Covid.

“I told Emma [Hayes] straight away, for my safety and the safety of the baby – it’s better if they know. Emma was one of the first people in my life who knew!

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“She was smiling and happy for me. I told the other staff members who needed to know and we kept it as a secret from the team for a long time – I think it was almost the third or fourth month. I was still training, but we could use Covid as an excuse for why I’m not really in training sessions, having contact and doing that stuff.

“I was training a bit by myself and doing parts with the team until April and then Emma came to me and said you could see that I was moving differently and we have to tell the team.

“In a team meeting, we popped up the picture of the little baby in my belly and everyone was surprised. I stood up in front of the team and they were screaming and happy, so that was really nice. No one really expected it but the reaction was amazing.

“They organised a baby shower, I didn’t know that. When I left to go to Germany – I wanted to give birth there just because of the language and having the family around – they organised a party in London.

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“I thought I was going for a nice dinner with my boyfriend, but the whole team was there. It was amazing. I don’t like surprises that much but the team did a good job.

“In the beginning, it was nice [to have a break], because I’ve been a professional since I was 16, always playing and the schedule was always really tight. It was nice to get a breather and enjoy not having the daily schedule.

“I was traveling a lot and just enjoyed the time. At the end of the pregnancy, I wasn’t able to do that much, it was a bit boring and I was happier when I could do sports again.

“I did a lot until 36 weeks. I think it was because I never stopped doing sports and I felt even worse when I was lying in bed. It helped me to do some mobility stuff, some yoga. Running was possible, but you also have to listen to your body and there was a point when I had to relax.

“I recovered really well after the pregnancy, which was also because I was able to do a lot of fitness work until the end.

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“Two days after giving birth, just started doing little exercises, so that helped me a lot to get my body back. It’s still different – all the hormones have to go back and your body has to recover, that just takes time.

“I feel pretty strong and fit. I think I need some game time because it’s always difficult to train and then go to games – it’s different.”

Leupolz’s son has already become a firm favourite among the Chelsea squad. While she has taking him to the training ground, any parent will know that finding a routine with a newborn baby is key, meaning he often stays at home with Leupolz’s wide support network.

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She explained: “They [the team] like having a cuddle and giving the baby back! Sam Kerr is always asking ‘where’s the baby’.

“Right now, we try to keep him at home when I come to training. There is my partner or my parents or the nanny who are covering those times. The club is always happy to have the baby around, but it’s easier for me because it’s a distraction during training.

“It’s better when I know he’s safe and there’s someone taking care of him at home because then he can sleep and he has his routine. Then I go home and spend time with him.

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“We get a lot of support from our families and friends and it’s also important to have a nanny, otherwise it’s impossible to do both. You also need your time to rest, train properly and focus on games. Sometimes, it’s late kick-offs, do you have to have someone at home who is bringing him to bed.”

Pregnancy among active WSL players has been under the spotlight recently. Those who have gone through pregnancy and returned to playing are rare, and before the start of the 2022/23 season, there was no FA directive on maternity rights for players.

Under the new policy between the FA and PFA, “a player going on maternity leave will be paid 100 per cent of her weekly wage, as well as any other renumeration and benefits for the first 14 weeks, before reverting to applicable statuary rate”.

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It has previously been down to clubs to deal with on an individual basis, which applied to Leupolz, but she only has praise for how Chelsea handled her pregnancy. This included the club hiring a pelvic floor specialist to help her – something she describes as a “game changer”.

“Chelsea were doing much more than they had to do and that’s why I’m really thankful,” Leupolz said.

“They always believed in me and Emma believed I would come back even stronger than before. I got the full support and that was also why it helped me so much during the pregnancy because I didn’t have to waste thoughts about ‘how will it be, how will I be able to do everything’ because I knew I had the support from the club, from the girls, from my family. It was just positive.

“Emma has a child herself and she knows what’s important. She said to our physios that they had to implement a pelvic floor specialist. I can work with her and after pregnancy, I can see if I’m back where I was before.

Image: Melanie Leupolz says the Chelsea team often ask if she will be bringing her

“To be honest, that was a game changer, it was really important. Every woman knows how important the pelvic floor is, especially when you give birth to a child. She helped me a lot and the physios did an amazing job.

“We had a little group of four people and we had a catch up every two weeks, talked about my training programme, what I was doing in Germany and after birth, how I can get back to my strength and fitness.

“It’s important to listen to your body, but it was really helpful for me to trust [them] because these are the specialists and this is my first pregnancy so how should I know?

“When you look on the internet, there’s no information about athletes who are getting pregnant and giving birth and coming back, so it was really hard. It was helpful for me to have this circle around me who are experienced in this area and I can ask questions.

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“I was also talking to team-mates, from Germany for example, who have twins and she had no help at all. It was like ‘OK, come back when you’re fit again’ and there was no support in between. I think that’s so important to minimise the time between when you give birth to come back, that’s really helpful.

“Other clubs should take Chelsea as an idol and ask questions about how we did it because in my experience, they were super.

“We can use it as an example to women’s football and also the athletes that what’s important is how you support the players during pregnancy and after because you don’t have to stop your career just for giving birth. With the right network and support, everything is possible.”

In January, the Blues also offered Leupolz a new deal until 2026, giving the player and her family job security. It allows her to focus on her job as she continues her return – and have an eye on the Germany squad for this summer’s World Cup.

Leupolz added: “They offered me a contract at a time when I wasn’t on the pitch so I was still training by myself and my contract was running out in the summer.

Image: Melanie Leupolz has already returned to the pitch after her pregnancy

“But they offered a contact straight away. That was really nice. It gives me a lot of security, but also I couldn’t imagine going to another club because the support is so high. I’m happy here and I appreciate what the club is doing for me and my family.

“It wasn’t a difficult choice, it was easy to extend my contract. I’m here for a couple of years now, but I feels like there’s so much more to win and to do and playing games again for the team. I’m looking forward to the next couple of months and years.

“The next couple of weeks is about getting some minutes on the pitch, game time and coming back to my old fitness an performance. Help the team as well as I can and in the summer we have the World Cup, which is also a big goal.”

Watch the full interview on Inside the WSL from 6.30pm on Wednesday. This is followed by Chelsea’s game against Brighton in the WSL live on Sky Sports from 7pm. Watch both on Sky Sports Football.