What should be included in an Olympic Sports International Federations’ pregnancy and postpartum policy and guidance?

Many women have to choose between having children and their athletic career.1 However, times are changing, and some elite female athletes are continuing to compete during pregnancy and the postpartum period (2 years following childbirth).1 2 Pregnant athletes should be encouraged, when medically safe, to exercise throughout their pregnancy and the postpartum period due to the health gains for both the mother and unborn child, similar to the non-athletic population.3 Appropriately, there are concerns about the safety of some exercise forms and durations during pregnancy and the postpartum period, especially for elite athletes who may have unique training demands and high-performance goals.3