Pregnancy & Postpartum Research, Moms in Contact Sports & Football — with EMMA BROCKWELL, PT

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What does pregnancy and postpartum really look like for female athletes—especially at the elite level?

And more importantly… are we still treating it like a problem to manage instead of a phase to train through?

In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I sit down with Emma Brockwell, pelvic health physiotherapist working at the highest levels of women’s sport—including Women’s Super League football, FIFA, and the Netball Super League.

Emma has been at the forefront of shifting the conversation around pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and return to sport—not just in clinical settings, but on the field with professional athletes.

She’s also:

Co-founder of The Athletic FemaleCo-author of the 2019 UK Postpartum Return to Running GuidelineAuthor of Why Did No One Tell Me?

This conversation goes beyond rehab timelines and checklists.

We get into the evolution of care—from fear-based, overly cautious approaches to a more modern, performance-informed model that respects both physiology and athletic identity.

We talk about:

The old model vs the new model of pregnancy & postpartum care in athletesWhat’s actually happening with female pro athletes during pregnancy and postpartumWhy fear-based messaging is still showing up—and how to move beyond itHow to maintain play and training during pregnancy (not just “stay active”)Navigating hyperemesis and exerciseWhy avoiding deconditioning matters more than we thinkThe ongoing debate around relaxin and injury riskWhat clinicians and coaches often miss when supporting postpartum athletes

Research We Discuss:

“Kicking Off Motherhood: Considering Return to Play Postpartum in the Footballer”
Sports Medicine, August 25, 2025“Pregnant Pitches: Navigating Football Before and During Pregnancy”
Sports Medicine, August 25, 2025“Stepping into Play: a FIFA decision aid for football participation after childbirth”
British Journal of Sports Medicine, March 2026

These papers are helping reshape how we think about return to play—not as a fixed timeline, but as a decision-making process grounded in context, capacity, and the individual athlete.

🎧 Listen, Subscribe & Share:

If this episode changed how you think about pregnancy, postpartum, or return to sport—share it with a coach, clinician, or athlete who needs to hear it.

Time Stamps

1:00 Introduction

8:25 the rise of the professional female athlete

15:29 investigations risks of contact 

20:40 making individual decisions

27:43 taking the comparison out of pregnancy

35:13 breastfeeding and injuries

43:40 the importance of sleep

47:30 RED-s and low energy availability

57:17 rapid fire questions

CONNECT WIT

The Active Mom Podcast is A Real Moms' Guide to pregnancy, postpartum, perimenopause & beyond for active moms & the professionals who help them in their journey.
 
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