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Silver Ferns coach Ruth Aitken had no qualms about selecting captain Adine Wilson for the failed netball world championship defence, despite knowing she was carrying her first child.
Amid the tears in the Trusts Stadium dressing room after Australia's 42-38 victory in the decider here on Saturday, Wilson
confided to her distraught teammates she was 14 weeks pregnant.
Wilson, married to former All Blacks wing Jeff Wilson, played a massive role in the eight-day tournament, taking the court at some stage for all the Silver Ferns' six matches at wing attack.
Aitken was one of the few people connected to the team who knew of her skipper's health status and denied it was an issue.
"The timing wasn't quite what I would have liked," Aitken admitted before adding Wilson's health was regularly monitored in the lead-up to the tournament.
"She worked in consultation with our medical staff and her medics at home," Aitken told NewstalkZB.
"She was absolutely fine. She didn't tell the players or family until after the game because she didn't want anyone to worry."
Aitken said Wilson's physical conditioner had also apparently been kept out of the loop "so he wouldn't go soft on her".
Netball New Zealand has a three-page document outlining guidelines for players who fall pregnant.
It is designed to protect their right to play while making them acutely aware of the risks involved.
"Netball New Zealand considers that pregnancy is a state of health, not an illness," it begins.
"Pregnant players need to be aware that participation in contact or collision sports carries some risks for herself and her unborn child."
The guidelines outline the responsibilities of the pregnant player, coaches, administrators, umpires and other players when dealing with pregnancy in netball.
"However as each person and each pregnancy is different, a pregnant player's ongoing participation in netball should be made on an individual basis...
"Remember that it is the pregnant player who shall make the decision as to whether to continue to participate in netball or when to stop."
Expectant mothers were warned to obtain professional medical advice, regularly review their training and playing programme and avoid overheating, especially in the first trimester.
Pregnant players were also urged to monitor their heart rate regularly to ensure they always work at less than 75 per cent of their maximum heart rate.
The pregnancy issue is nothing new for the Silver Ferns with current squad members Julie Seymour, Sheryl Scanlan and Irene van Dyk all juggling motherhood with playing careers.
Former shooter Belinda Colling also continued playing while pregnant.
The question of playing while pregnant has been contentious.
Netball Australia was taken to court in 2001 after it barred then Adelaide captain Trudy Gardiner from playing in the domestic competition.
Gardiner, who was 16 weeks pregnant, when playing the season finale, successfully appealed to the Federal Magistrates' Court.
Former New Zealand defender Tanya Dearns said Wilson's condition "may explain why we saw some flatness from her in the past week.
"I've had kids and the first few weeks is very hard on your body and it takes a lot out of you," Dearns told Radio Sport.
Goal shoot van Dyk said the squad was unaware Wilson, 28, was pregnant until she made the announcement.
"She told us we actually played with 7-1/2 players, everyone was 'wow!'.
"We saw her clothes sizes go up a couple of sizes but nobody questioned it," van Dyk said.
"It was an incredible effort, we had pool sessions and everything and no one questioned it."
Many top sportswomen have performed well while pregnant.
British marathon runner Paula Radcliffe won the New York marathon victory just nine months after giving birth.
Her win highlighted a medical debate about just how gung-ho women should be about exercise during pregnancy and afterward.
Some doctors believed women used to rigorous exercise can continue it at least early in pregnancy and resume soon afterward, but that this is not the time for inactive women to decide they want to try a marathon.
Their advice is often that it's OK to continue what you're used to, but don't push it.
Running a marathon requires several months of training and long-distance running most days. The intensity is rigorous for those hoping to win.
Radcliffe, 33, ran throughout her pregnancy and has said her husband's help made training afterward easier.
Some doctors discourage most women from bouncy or high-impact workouts during pregnancy and urge them to take it easy at first after giving birth because some body changes linger.
- NZPA
