32 A Qualitative Analysis of Elite Athletes Perceptions of Pregnancy in the United Kingdom
Catherine Caro, Storm Trow, Zoë Bell, Angela Flynn, Fiona Lavelle

TL;DR
This study explores how elite athletes in the UK experience pregnancy and the challenges of balancing motherhood with their athletic careers.
Contribution
It provides new qualitative insights into the lived experiences of elite athletes during pregnancy, highlighting gaps in support and policy.
Findings
Elite athletes face identity shifts and challenges transitioning from athlete to mother.
There is a lack of guidance and support for elite athletes during pregnancy and postpartum.
Participants emphasized the need for tailored health and training support during pregnancy.
Abstract
Female athletes train and compete at an elite level during their reproductive years, with an increasing number of athletes navigating an athletic career alongside pregnancy. There is a paucity of research exploring the antenatal experiences of elite athletes. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of elite athletes in the United Kingdom as they navigated pregnancy and provide considerations for future research and policy surrounding elite sport participation during pregnancy. Semi-structured online interviews were conducted in elite athletes ≥ 18 years old, who resided in the UK, and who trained and/or competed at the highest level of their sport prior to and/or during pregnancy. A topic guide was used to cover the athletes’ experiences in elite sport, specifically during preconception, pregnancy and the postpartum period. The interviews were recorded, transcribed and…
Peer Reviews
No public reviews on file for this paper yet. If you reviewed it on a platform where reviews are public (OpenReview, ICLR, NeurIPS, ICML), you can paste yours below so the community can read it here.
Videos
No videos yet. Explain this paper in a talk, walkthrough, or lecture? Add one.
Taxonomy
TopicsReproductive Health and Contraception · Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
