Claire Emslie was back playing for NWSL side Angel City just five months after giving birth
Published June 8, 2026 • Source: bbc.com
By Brian McLauchlin BBC Sport Scotland in Budapest
Scotland 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."
Women's World Cup qualifier: Israel v Scotland
Bozsik Arena, Budapest
Tuesday, 9 June 18:00 BST
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With Jamie arriving ahead of schedule, Emslie says she and her husband were not fully prepared for parenthood.
"No, but we're glad it happened like that because I didn't have to think about it too much," she said. "It was just, 'right, here we go'.
"It wasn't until we got to the hospital and they said we'd be going to surgery in an hour that the panic set in. But it didn't last long because within an hour he was out and we were mum and dad.
"We were expecting him on 27 December. I was just thinking, 'please don't come on Christmas'. Then he came two weeks early and we were buzzing."
Despite her rapid return to competitive action, Emslie says her recovery required patience after giving birth by Caesarean section.
"Three weeks later, I started with pelvic floor physio," she said. "My main recovery was getting my abs back together. Everything else was intact and it was just getting the abs back together and allowing my body time to recover.
"After three weeks I started mobility work and slowly progressed from there. The support I had at Angel City was brilliant and it shows what's possible with that support and the willingness to get back."
Having returned to the Scotland squad, Emslie's focus is now firmly on helping her country reach next year's tournament in Brazil.
"It doesn't get better," she said. "As a footballer, playing for Scotland is the best thing. Going to a World Cup doesn't get better than that.
"And to do it in Brazil, the footballing country, would be incredible."