Millie Bright is having a baby with her partner Tom Mitchell – and the pair are looking forward to everything this new chapter has in store.
In an exclusive interview with Women’s Health, the former Lioness and Chelsea defender – who captained England during their run to the 2023 World Cup final – said she was relieved to be able to share the news with the world.
‘It’s been very hard to keep it a secret, but it’s finally out,’ she says. ‘It’s the greatest gift you can be given – to bring a life into the world – so we’re excited.’
‘We’re grateful,’ Tom, who is a professional barber, salon owner, and social media content creator, adds. ‘I was very excited when I found out. I jumped up out of bed and then I was an emotional wreck until about 3 or 4am in the morning.’
The couple first announced they were together back in April this year, and have since moved in together. They also share an Instagram account, where they post vlogs, challenges and videos about travel, sports, cooking and more.
Now in her second trimester, Millie said the hardest part of pregnancy so far has been navigating the changes to her body.
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‘It’s been difficult. I’m used to being very athletic and my body fitting into certain clothes, and that’s been changing. Now I’m embracing it and I feel good about myself, confident and happy, because I'm getting to the stage where I look pregnant and feel pregnant, whereas before I just felt unfit.’
‘You didn’t feel yourself, did you?’ Tom added. ‘You’re used to being so sporty and athletic, and it sort of knocked you out.’
‘It’s probably been tougher for Tom than it has been for me,’ Millie joked.
'One second, we'd literally be having a conversation and the next she'd be asleep,' he explained. 'You've had to learn to slow down, as much as you haven't wanted to. And that's been a big challenge, but you've done it. You're getting there slowly.'
'Slowing down has probably been the hardest thing for me,' Millie added. 'When I was playing the girls would be like, "What are you doing on your rest day?" and I'd be like "I did this, this, this, this". To me, that was resting. But luckily I have my little angel by my side in Tom, and he's been forcing me to rest, along with the midwife. But I think that's been the hardest part, is not feeling guilty for relaxing and just remembering that I do actually have a little one inside of me and they need me to be fully fit and healthy.'
Dealing with morning sickness has also been difficult. ‘I don’t know why it’s called morning sickness, because it pops up out of nowhere whenever it feels like it,’ Millie said. ‘90% of the time mine has been from midday forwards, and it’s been hard keeping food down. My midwife told me to eat what I could, but I felt guilty to not be eating what I knew was good for both me and the baby. But then the second trimester came around, and I could eat salads and veg again.’
When asked what they’re most excited about for this new chapter, the couple are aligned. ‘I’m most excited to build a loving family home,’ Tom said. ‘I can’t wait to experience it and make it our own.’
‘We’ve definitely started a lot of new chapters – moving into a new home, finally being able to just settle and build the nursery – but I’m very excited to shop for baby stuff without looking over my shoulder for someone asking, “Are you having a baby?”' Millie added. 'It’s just going to be nice to live with some freedom and just be able to live our lives.’
While the couple haven’t told too many people yet, Millie said her former teammates have been incredibly supportive – especially her close friends at Chelsea.
‘Sam [Kerr], Carly [Telford], Erin [Cuthbert] and Guro [Reiten] knew quite early, and they were just ecstatic,’ she said. ‘All of us in that group are kind of transitioning into that phase of life, and everyone’s just really happy for us.’
While Millie’s pregnancy comes post-retirement from professional football, Chelsea recently announced a new partnership with Fertility Plus which will see each women’s team player given a first-of-its-kind fund to access fertility support.
It’s something Millie described as a ‘really proud moment’ – she still works as a club ambassador and a trustee for the Chelsea Foundation – especially because she’s keen to see fertility become a bigger conversation in the women’s game.
‘I think in the game it’s still a little bit taboo, and I would love to see more things like this pushed to the front,' she said. 'I’d love to see things like this become a non-negotiable in the game moving forward – I think that way players will potentially feel more comfortable. Because I can only speak for myself, but it is a hard thing. You want to play every single game, but life is always bigger than football.’
Lauren Geall is deputy site editor for Women’s Health UK and Men’s Health UK. She graduated from Exeter University with a BA in English Literature before studying an MA in Magazine Journalism at City, University London. She’s been writing about health, fitness and wellbeing for over five years, with a total of seven years in digital journalism. Prior to her current role, she worked at Stylist as the acting health and fitness editor. As well as being a keen runner, Lauren is passionate about women’s sport and can often be found cheering on Arsenal Women at the Emirates or keeping tabs on the Red Roses’ latest win.
