Allyson Felix has been an advocate for moms since giving birth to her first child in 2018. As an Olympic athlete preparing for her first child, Felix said in a New York Times op-ed that she fought to receive a contractual guarantee from her then-sponsor Nike that she wouldn’t be punished if she didn’t perform her best in the months surrounding her pregnancy.
The company, however, refused, leading to a public outcry. Nike later enforced a maternity policy that protected sponsored athletes’ pay during their pregnancy.
Felix went on to co-found Saysh, a community-centered lifestyle brand for women and now, the company is debuting an “intentionally sexist returns policy,” according to a release shared with Blavity. The policy will allow expectant moms to trade in their Saysh shoes for a new size—a policy that was inspired by the growing feet of pregnant women.
Felix told Blavity that during her pregnancy, comfort was a priority, often choosing her house shoes or slides over sneakers.
She added that at seven months pregnant, she remembers looking down at her feet and noticing they were swollen. While swelling is common during pregnancy, it can also be a sign of preeclampsia. The Olympian ended up giving birth via an emergency c-section. The 36-year-old added that it took her awhile to feel like herself after giving birth.
Her daughter, Camryn, spent a month in the NICU and the new mom began to have her own doubts “about whether I could ever get back to myself again after giving birth.”
“I was at risk, and I didn’t even know it. My baby was at risk, and I didn’t even know it. Who was supposed to tell me? How should I have known? I’m still hard on myself because I didn’t have those answers,” Felix said.
While it took the athlete some time to get adjusted during her postpartum journey, she said being surrounded by “positivity” and “people who believed in me” helped her a lot.
The Olympian went on to use her experience as fuel to provide resources to moms.
“We need to share our stories and create safe spaces to express our fear and ask questions that may feel silly, especially if asking those questions can save our lives or the lives of our loved ones,” she said. “Because of my experience and because of society’s view of pregnancy as a deterrence, I’m committed to raising awareness about maternal health so that other women aren’t punishing themselves the way I have been punishing myself since my pregnancy.”
As she continues to advocate for moms, Felix said that her ultimate wish for women is that they “never have to choose between being a mother and anything else.”
“Because of my experience and because of society’s view of pregnancy as a deterrence, I’m committed to raising awareness about maternal health so that other women aren’t punishing themselves the way I have been punishing myself since my pregnancy,” Felix said.
