Playing football and being a mum - the 'two dreams' for Man Utd's Bizet

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Celin Bizet Donnum has two dreams: one is to play professional football, the other to start a family.

The first came true long ago for the Manchester United winger, while her second wish is about to be granted.

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"If you have two dreams, you can live both of them at the same time," Bizet Donnum told the BBC's Women's Football Weekly podcast.

The Norway international announced in December that she and husband Aron Bizet Donnum - also a professional footballer - were expecting their first child in 2026.

At 24, Bizet Donnum is in her prime as a player, but said it felt a "natural thing" to have a baby while still in her playing career.

"It was a hard thing to actually get pregnant and not be in the team. Missing out the whole season - it's very scary," she said. "But for me, it was even more scary to not have the baby in my career."

Bizet Donnum was speaking to former England striker Ellen White, who, like many other sportswomen, waited until she had finished playing to start a family.

"When I was playing, a lot of players older than me waited until they retired - similar to what I did," White said.

"I don't know if it was because of security, not knowing if you are going to feel that support from your club or judgement or even if you are going to feel ready to come back.

"There's so many tournaments that at times you feel like you're having to sacrifice something. It felt like maybe one sacrifice was not having a baby while playing."

Earlier this month, Aston Villa midfielder Missy Bo Kearns, 24, announced she was expecting her first child, while Bizet Donnum's United team-mate Hannah Blundell - currently on loan at Everton - returned to football in November just seven months after giving birth.

Simone Magill, a striker for WSL 2 promotion hunters Birmingham City, is also expecting her first child in May, but Bizet Donnum said these examples remain the exception.

"It's still very rare to have a baby when you are a footballer," she said.

"Some people ask if I'm going to quit football and I'm like, 'What?'. That was not in my mind for a second. Of course I will come back to football - that's my motivation.

"It's so nice to see other people do it as well and not be scared of it."

What are the maternity guidelines in women's football?

Celin Bizet Donnum is continuing to train every day with Manchester United [Getty Images]

In 2024, Fifa introduced changes to protect female footballers and coaches during and after pregnancy.

These include a minimum of 14 weeks' maternity leave on full pay, a minimum of eight weeks' paid absence for adoption leave if the child is younger than two years old and at least eight weeks' fully paid family leave for female players or coaches other than the biological mother.

Players returning to football following such leave can also be registered outside the usual registration period, while clubs can temporarily replace a player during maternity, adoption or family leave irrespective of where in the calendar such a request falls.

Clubs are also asked to provide space for mothers to breastfeed or express milk when they have returned to work.

These regulations are mandated across the Women's Super League, fully professional since 2018, and the league says mechanisms are in place to support those who choose to start a family during their playing career.

BBC Sport contacted all WSL clubs about how they use these rules to shape their maternity provision.

Manchester United highlighted "a culture change" where players have all they need to "make an informed choice" about whether they wish to wait until their career is over before considering having children.

They said the measures they have established on top of the regulations, including personalised plans for areas such as nutrition, psycho-social and wellbeing, physiotherapy and sleep help "break down barriers" for expectant mothers.

For her part, Bizet Donnum praised United for their support, explaining she has also been given "so much freedom" to spend time with her husband, who plays and lives in Toulouse, France.

The pelvic floor physio however, did catch her by surprise.

"I didn't have a clue about pelvic floor!" Bizet Donnum said. "But then when I got pregnant, the doctor at Manchester United introduced me and [the physio] has been game-changing for me."

Arsenal and West Ham pointed out how they have built on the rules to offer bespoke support for pregnant players - including Sweden international Amanda Ilestedt at the former and Katrina Gorry among others at the latter - while Tottenham and Brighton spoke of how their maternity policy adheres to WSL, Fifa and FifPro guidance.

As for Bizet Donnum, alongside her joy at becoming a mother this year, she is also counting down the days until able to play football again.

"I am so excited to come back," she said. "It's hard when I'm watching the games and wishing I played.

"But then it's one season I am missing. After my career, will I look back and think: 'Damn, I didn't play that season' or will I just be happy that I've had a kid?"

[BBC]

Visit the Women's Football Weekly feed to hear the full chat between Ellen White and Celin Bizet Donnum as well as hear insights and analysis from across the Women's Super League and beyond.

Plus, you can watch an extended version of the interview from Thursday, 26 March on BBC iPlayer.

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