Morgan altering her delivery plans
Coronavirus pandemic throws a curve into Pride star’s options
U.S. women’s national team and Orlando Pride star Alex Morgan is facing her own period of coronavirus uncertainty — the rescheduling of the Tokyo Olympics and the challenge of delivering her first child during a global pandemic.
Morgan was featured on the cover of the April edition of Glamour magazine at 7.5 months pregnant, posing for a series of pictures the magazine stated were untouched for the cover shoot. The article originally was going to be a celebration of the U.S. national team’s star striker’s drive to return to Olympic form three months after giving birth.
In the wake of the pandemic and the rescheduling of the Olympics, however, Morgan’s viewpoint has greatly changed.
For Morgan, the greatest challenge in the coming month will be planning to deliver while the nation works to fight the spread of coronavirus. Morgan and her husband — former Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Servando Carrasco — announced in October they are expecting a girl.
Morgan is set for an April due date and she told the magazine she originally planned to have a natural birth without pain suppressants.
“I’ve gone through a lot of major sports injuries and endured a lot of pain, but nothing is going to be like childbirth," Morgan said in the interview with Glamour. "I feel like if I don’t experience that, then I’ll never really know what I can do, what I’m capable of.”
But as public health officials scramble to adapt to the spread of coronavirus, some hospitals aren’t allowing any visitors — including doulas and spouses — into the delivery room with mothers. Most have relented to allow one person in the delivery room.
The concept of giving birth without her doula was already a concern, and Morgan posted on social media recently pregnant mothers should have the support they need in the delivery room. She drew criticism for her post, with many responding it was dangerous for a mother to be joined by more than one person.
Morgan said in the Glamour interview if her husband could not join her in the delivery room, she might have to change her plans completely. Now, she’s considering giving birth at home to create the experience she had planned for earlier in her pregnancy.
While she continues to reconfigure the details of the final month of her pregnancy, Morgan said she took comfort from the maternity support she negotiated into her contracts with both U.S. Soccer and Nike.
Glamour reported her new contract with Nike featured maternity protections, including 18 months of guaranteed pay that won’t be touched even if she doesn’t play a match during that period. Morgan said she’s working to create change for other female athletes, speaking out for maternity protections alongside fellow athletes Alysia Montaño, Allyson Felix and Kara Goucher.
“It really brought up an important point that a lot of brands who have male executives in place don’t think of initially,” Morgan said in the interview. “My Nike contract was up and we just re-signed for a long period, and they’re extremely supportive."
For Morgan, the rescheduling of the Olympics also is a major change. Morgan initially was preparing for a whirlwind turnaround — delivering her baby girl in April, then preparing for the Tokyo Olympics in July.
Morgan said she was concerned about the prospect of having a child during the peak of her career, but she said she had the proper support from her family and her teams to take this step without missing a beat on the pitch.
Morgan said she didn’t pause her typical workout routine for the first seven months of her pregnancy. Six days a week, she trained on the ball, lifted weights and ran at her top speed. At the seven month mark, she began to slow down a little more, reducing her workouts to biking and jogging along with physical therapy and prenatal yoga.
Now, however, with the Tokyo Olympics delayed a full year to summer 2021, Morgan has more time to recover and prepare for a return to the U.S. national team. For Morgan, it’s a rare positive change in the midst of uncertainty.
“There are a hundred things that have been going through my mind,” Morgan said. “Now I have more time to deal, and I’ll have more time with my daughter without the endless questions. I can figure it out with a little more calm and a little more clarity. I have to look to the positives.”