How Emslie went from giving birth to World Cup qualifiers inside six monthsImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Claire Emslie was back playing for NWSL side Angel City just five months after giving birthByBrian McLauchlinBBC Sport Scotland in BudapestPublished35 minutes agoScotland forward Claire Emslie was in the gym when her waters broke. A few hours later, she gave birth to her first child. Fast-forward six months and she’s in Budapest, back playing for her country and eyeing the World Cup finals.It’s been quite the start to 2026 for the 32-year-old mother of little boy Jamie. Emslie was back training by mid-January and made her return for Los Angeles-based club side Angel City on 10 May – Mother’s Day in the United States.Then, last Friday, she was back in a Scotland jersey for the first time in more than a year – trusted from the start as Melissa Andreatta’s side beat Israel 6-0 in World Cup qualifying.
The Scots face Israel again on Tuesday as they aim to hold off Belgium and finish top of Group B4 in their pursuit of next year’s World Cup finals in Brazil.
Emslie says motherhood has changed her life, although she was surprised by how quickly Jamie’s arrival unfolded.
“Through my whole pregnancy, my club were brilliant,” she told BBC Scotland. “My body was able to do so much more than we expected and I could train right up to the day I gave birth.
“My water broke in the gym. I was doing an exercise and as I stepped back, I felt it and I was like, ‘oh man, here we go’.
“We went from having a normal day – me and my husband Jonny went to the pool, we did a swim, we were in the gym – and then a few hours later we’ve got a wee boy.”
