Maternity in women's football: What's it like becoming a mother while playing? By Katie FalkinghamBBC Sport Jessica McDonald celebrates with her son Jeremiah after winning the 2019 World Cup When Jessica McDonald had a bad game or a bad training session, it was apparently because of her son. He was, as she was told, a "distraction". The same son who would sit in his pushchair on the side of the pitch while his mum trained, because she couldn't afford childcare. And the same son who sprinkled ticker tape over his mum's head after she had helped the United States win the 2019 World Cup.