Paris Olympic Village houses first nursery for parent-athletes

( NewsNation ) — A new Olympic Village facility is helping some of the world’s greatest athletes handle their other, more personal duty: parenting.

The 2024 Paris Olympics is the first in games history to have a dedicated space for parents to meet their children privately, offering secluded spaces for those who wish to breastfeed and an open playtime area.

“Many athletes are balancing their sporting careers and family. I know how this feels as I competed at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games as a mother with a young child. Pregnancy and motherhood are a natural path in life, and it doesn’t have to mean a career end for female athletes,” said IOC AC Chair Emma Terho in the facility’s announcement .

Two families can access the Pampers Nursery at a time during its daily operating hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. It’s located in the heart of Athlete Village Plaza , where competitors stay during the games.

“It is very helpful for both parents and infants to be able to spend time together, especially at such an important moment in an athlete’s sporting life. This nursery allows that to happen, while also giving athletes the opportunity to focus on the Games,” Terho added.

Allyson Felix pushes for Olympic nursery

For Olympian parents, child care and maternity matters have been touch-and-go. Parent athletes told CNN that, in the Tokyo 2020 Winter Olympics, they were given one small, windowless room to breastfeed and visit their children in.

Track and Field star Allyson Felix — now the most decorated athlete in the sport’s history with 20 World Championship medals and 11 Olympics medal — was one of the driving forces behind the Olympic Village addition.

In 2019, Felix got pregnant. Nike slashed her shoe deal after the announcement, with the athlete claiming in an op-ed for The New York Times the shoe mogul wanted her to take a 70% pay cut because of her pregnancy.

So, Felix started her own brand called Saysh, had a cesarean section and won big in the Tokyo Olympics — and decided to make some more history.

Felix partnered with Pampers and the IOC Athletes’ Commission to get the nursery added to the Paris Games.

“After the birth of my daughter, I understood how difficult it is to compete at the highest level while balancing the demands of parenthood,” Felix wrote in a statement to CNN.

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