Kelly Duong
Imam Subkham
English 298
5/14/24
Motherhood in the Sports World
Women, especially when pregnant, share feelings of exuding far more effort to prove their capabilities. For many generations, pregnancy in sports meant the end of a career due to the limited support and resources for the return after birth. Pregnancy discrimination is one of the many things that athletes are fighting against in the process of attaining reproductive rights and better maternal health outcomes. A part of that process involves the normalization of competing pregnant athletes and mothers in general in the industry. For this to happen, misconceptions of birth effects need to be corrected and paid maternity leave becomes a required policy.
“I’ve got a target on my head. Like any mom in any industry, you have to work a thousand times harder to prove that you’re not damaged goods.” Alysia Montano, an American distance runner, shared during her pregnancy. She gained a lot of publicity in a 2014 race where she ran 8 months pregnant. For some, sports are their only financial pathway, depending on the sport the payment is different. Football might give a salary while running does a paycheck from sponsors at the end of their dash instead. So putting their only line of payment on hold for pregnancy is a huge financial risk that many can’t take. The U.S. is one of the few countries that don’t mandate paid maternity leave, shockingly less than 20% of Americans have access to paid parental policies. This needs to be fixed if they’re gonna throw these challenges at athletes expecting a leave once pregnant.
Another athlete who challenges misconceptions surrounding pregnancy and sports is Tia Clair Toomey, an Australian weightlifter, and CrossFit Games athlete. She motivates her fans by teaching them the many benefits of working out while pregnant such as lower weight gain, reduced risk of gestational diabetes mellitus, and protection against preeclampsia as well as reducing issues during birth and child’s health issues. Despite the benefits, there's a normalization of discouragement towards physical activity likely due to risks such as low birth weight and premature birth, which has been proven to be false. Rather, not exercising can cause more risks during birth such as increased risk of preterm birth.
Despite carrying a baby, maintaining athleticism and dominance is not an issue for these women. Seeing the growing number of moms on teams is a signifier of advancements in women’s sports. Many would think that the extra weight and hormonal changes would impact these players’ abilities but, surprisingly, little evidence shows that this is true. Beyond physical changes, some experts suggest that being pregnant helps these athletes develop better-coping strategies and resilience, which boosts their performance. Many studies have shown that women can maintain high levels of performance during pregnancy.
While balancing family life with your career is a very demanding task, women should be able to decide if they want to continue competing. There needs to be an understanding that there’s a variety of reasons these athletes are competing, sometimes it’s for themselves, and other times it's because there's a baby to feed. Supporting athlete moms means mandating paid parental leave and advocating for a better understanding of pregnancy health.
Citations
https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/women/nike-pregnant-athletes-performance-related-pay-cuts-pregnant-alysia-montano-a8913081.html
“Elite Athletes and the Pregnancy Penalty.” Cal Alumni Association, 14 Sep. 2023, alumni.berkeley.edu/california-magazine/fall-2019/elite-athletes-and-pregnancy-penalty-track-star-alysia-montano/.
L’Heveder, Ariadne, et al. “Sports Obstetrics: Implications of Pregnancy in Elite Sportswomen, a Narrative Review.” Journal of Clinical Medicine, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 25 Aug. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9456821/#:~:text=Although%20there%20is%20 little%20evidence,21%2C37%2C76%5D.
“Meet the Super-Mom, Alysia Montaño, Who Competed in the USA Nationals 5-Months Pregnant.” Bright Side - Inspiration. Creativity. Wonder., Bright Side, 4 June 2023, brightside.me/articles/meet-super-mom-alysia-montano-who-competed-in-the-usa-nationals-while-5-months-pregnant-813475/.
Hosie, Rachel. “Six-Time Fittest Woman on Earth Says Giving Birth Was like Her First CrossFit Games. It Was the Best Day of Her Life, but Not Easy.” Business Insider, Business Insider, www.businessinsider.com/tia-clair-toomey-orr-crossfit-legend-birth-motherhood-fitness-2023-12. Accessed 27 May 2024.
Spracklen, Cassandra N, et al. “Physical Activity during Pregnancy and Subsequent Risk of Preeclampsia and Gestational Hypertension: A Case Control Study.” Maternal and Child Health Journal, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5538351/.
Staff, Happiest Baby. “Exercise during Pregnancy-the Safest Ways to Sweat.” Happiest Baby, Happiest Baby, 14 Nov. 2023, www.happiestbaby.com/blogs/pregnancy/pregnancy-exercise#:~:text=While%20 it's%20true%20that%20 doctors,are%20now%20 outdated%20and%20false. Preterm fact.