From motherhood to medals: New research sheds light on postpartum guidelines for returning to sport

Allyson Felix holds her daughter after running the women’s 400-meter dash final at the U.S. Championships athletics meet in Des Moines, Iowa, in 2019. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall) by Jenna Schulz, Western University and Jane Thornton, Western University The upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games will be historic for a number of reasons. For the first time in modern Olympic history, there will be an equal number of female and male athletes competing at the Games. The Games will also be more mom-friendly than ever before, thanks to the advocacy of former and current athletes. For instance, a new initiative called MOMentum is creating resources to help athlete-mothers navigate family planning and their careers. MOMentum is led by Canadian rower Jill Moffatt, alongside fellow Canadian athletes Melissa Bishop-Nriagu, Erica Wiebe, Erica Gavel and two other athletes who almost missed the Tokyo Games due to pregnancy and postpartum policies: basketball player Kim Gaucher and boxer Mandy Bujold. The French Olympic Committee will also be providing hotel rooms to their athletes for breastfeeding during the Games. This announcement came after French judoka and Olympic medalist Clarisse Agbegnenou told President Emmanuel Macron during a team visit that she wanted her daughter with her in the...