Breastfeeding and top-class sport, the sports mothers report on their very personal experiences

“Gwen,” gently admonishes a commenter under a US social media post triathlete Gwen Jorgensen in March 2023, who expressed disappointment with her result at the New Plymouth World Cup in New Zealand. “Just saw (your video) the race report… 14 out of 50 with the 3rd fastest run I think and not much of a difference to the top 5 – that’s 5 months into the birth of your second child, you’re across the world traveled and breastfed.” Feeding. I think you give yourself less credit than you deserve!”

The comment was in response to Jorgensen’s caption, which read: “I’m not happy with the result because I’m an athlete who loves to win. I have a 🔥 that burns (and grows)”.

“Athlete who likes to win” is right.

Jorgensen is the one Rio 2016 Olympic and two-time world champion in 2014 and 2015, and silver in 2016. During the ITU World Cup series, she won an amazing 13 races in a row during that time.

So yes, Jorgensen is used to winning. Or was.

In August 2017, Jorgensen gave birth to Stanley and in November announced that she was retiring from triathlon to pursue Olympic gold in the marathon Tokyo 2020in 2021.

Injuries thwarted that ambition, and three months after the birth of his second child, George, in October 2022, Jorgensen announced a return to triathlon, joining the USA mixed relay team Paris 2024 the goal.

Jorgensen has openly documented her experiences as a mom in sports and is one of many athlete moms exploring the possibilities of competing in high-performance sports while still breastfeeding their children.

In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, Olympics.com takes a look at the experiences of Jorgensen and those following a similar path to explore the challenges of combining the early stages of motherhood and top-class sport.

Best of both worlds

“It’s absolutely possible to breastfeed and be at the highest athletic level because I did it,” said 28-time Paralympic medalist in swimming and cycling, Sarah Storey.

The Brit won two of her 17 gold medals at Rio 2016, in the cycling time trial and the road race, when her daughter Louisa was three years old. Storey repeated the feat at Tokyo 2020, this time with son Charlie, four, also in tow.

“Your baby is reassured, it’s not crying, it’s not agitated and you can focus on the work that you need to do as an athlete,” said Storey, who is aiming for an incredible ninth place Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.

“Knowing that I can provide for my child means it helps me do this incredibly selfish job as an athlete that requires you to be so self-absorbed and introspective with the hours you train and race me the yin and yang.”

shared honesty

“Breastfeeding was difficult,” said Storey’s compatriot and fellow cyclist. Laura Kenny who had her first child, Albie, almost a year after the end of the 2016 Rio Games, where Kenny won her fourth Olympic gold medal.

“I was breastfeeding for six months so it was really difficult to feed him in groups so I could cycle,” the track and road cyclist said in a 2019 interview. “He was the hungriest baby ever and he came only about ten minutes without going out.” Want to eat.

“Trying to go out and come back without feeling gross and sweaty for him — that was difficult,” continued Kenny, one half of the most successful couple in Olympic history. “As athletes, we have maternity leave if you are pregnant. After that there is nothing stopping you from training, so you just have to keep going.”

With the husband Jason Kennya now-retired track cyclist and the British men’s sprint cycling coach in the run-up to Paris 2024, have won a combined 15 Olympic track cycling medals, 12 gold and three silver.

Reality bites

Athletes are quick to point out that they aren’t superheroes, and the realism with which top athlete moms are beginning to document their experiences makes them even more accessible to moms around the world.

“I breastfed for three months and had mastitis three times, which was terrible.” Arianna Rigo told Olympics.com about the painful inflammation of breast tissue she suffered after the Italian fencer gave birth to twins via caesarean section in February.

The three-time Olympic medalist, who won gold in London 2012 and bronze in Tokyo 2020 and is considered one of the best fencers of all time, was by no means immune to the relatively common disease.

“I came to the third because I wanted to try it, but after three rounds of antibiotics in two and a half months I was urged to stop and I’m no longer breastfeeding.”

Errigo won her 10th world title five months after the twins were born, so maybe in this particular case we’re going back to that superhero status…

To make it work

“It hurts to hear people say, ‘We can only do one thing at a time,’ ‘You can’t advance in your job,’ or ‘You can’t be a top athlete’ while you’re a mom.” Clarisse Agbegnenou said Olympics.com. “That’s completely wrong.”

The French judoka, who competes in the 63 kg category, brings her daughter Athena to competitions including her comeback to the Champions League in Georgia last November, five months after giving birth, and to the World Championships in Doha last May , where she won her sixth world title.

“We just need the ability to breastfeed when possible or to express milk when needed at work… As an athlete you just need more time because of the physical ability, but other than that it’s going really smoothly.” That’s the example I want to show that everything is possible. You just have to listen to your body,” said Agbegnenou.

game time

Agbegnenou’s countryman, Valeriane Vukosavljevic (née Ayayi), an Olympic bronze medalist in basketball in Tokyo 2020, was also breastfeeding her daughter Lala during EuroBasket 2023, telling Olympics.com, “In my free time, when I’m not with the team, I can be with her.” My Daughter. I can breastfeed them, take care of them, make them eat, give them a shower – everything a mother needs to do. That’s important because she’s still very young and I can’t imagine leaving her alone for that for a long time.

“It’s important for a mother, for her mental health,” added the athlete, whose daughter may be the youngest medalist at Tokyo 2020. Vukosavljevic was pregnant when she played at the Japan Games.

keep it real

In a video diary documenting the start of her journey towards her hopefully third Olympics, Jorgensen revealed her feelings as she set off towards her return after baby race day: “I’m looking forward to just going out there and seeing wo.” I’m in… I’m just a little nervous about what’s going to happen at the race.

So far, Jorgensen’s daily routine has been similar to that of her sporting life before the birth, but with one important difference:

“I need my breast pump, I need the bottles, I need the stroller…” and in a reiteration similar to that of moms around the world, “It’s like, What am I forgetting?”