Meghan Markle is back on the mic — and she’s not holding back.
In the first episode of her new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan, the Duchess sat down with Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd. During their conversation, the two discussed the demands of balancing motherhood with having a career, which was when Markle revealed that she and Herd had both suffered from a rare medical condition called postpartum preeclampsia.
“We both had very similar experiences — though we didn’t know each other at the time — with postpartum, and we both had preeclampsia. Postpartum preeclampsia,” the Duchess said.
“It’s so rare and so scary,” she added. Herd agreed, “I mean life or death, truly.”
What is postpartum preeclampsia?
You might know about preeclampsia that occurs during pregnancy because of firsthand experience. Or maybe you recall when Kim Kardashian opened up about suffering from the condition during her first two pregnancies — and chose to have her third and fourth children via a surrogate because of it.
Preeclampsia, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is a serious condition that can present itself around 20 weeks into pregnancy. People with preeclampsia experience high blood pressure that can be life-threatening, as well as high protein levels in their urine. It puts strain on the mother’s heart, kidneys, and other organs, and can be dangerous for the fetus as well. If left untreated, it can cause serious organ damage and even be fatal — which is why it’s so important for anyone with the condition to be monitored closely by their doctor.
Postpartum preeclampsia, which the Duchess of Sussex experienced, is similar to preeclampsia in that it’s also characterized by high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine, but it occurs shortly after giving birth, as opposed to during pregnancy. The Mayo Clinic says that most cases of postpartum preeclampsia develop within 48 hours of delivering the baby, but it can also show up as late as six weeks afterwards — which is called late postpartum preeclampsia.
Postpartum preeclampsia can also be life-threatening, but thankfully can be treated with medication once diagnosed.
Markle remarked during the podcast that it was especially difficult dealing with the condition while being in the public eye. “You’re still trying to juggle all of these things, and the world doesn’t know what’s happening quietly. And in the quiet, you’re still trying to show up for people – mostly for your children — but those things are huge medical scares.”
Herd recalled the moment when Markle first showed her son Archie to the world. “I was like, Oh my God, how is this woman doing this? How is this woman putting on heels and going and debuting a child in this beautiful outfit in front of the entire world? I could barely face a doorbell delivery for takeout food in a robe.”
The two founders also bonded over raising their children during the pandemic and in a primarily work-from-home environment. “What I do love the most about having young kids, in this chapter while I’m building [a business], is the perspective that it brings because you’re building something while your child’s going through potty training … And then you’re championing your team 10 minutes later about something that is really high-value for the world. In your own world, that’s super high value. And in [her daughter Lilibet’s] world, that’s super high-value.”
The podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder with Meghan, is the Duchess’s first one since announcing her partnership with network Lemonada Media last February.
Markle wrote in an Instagram post in March, “I’ve been having candid conversations with amazing women who have turned dreams into realities, and scaled small ideas into massively successful businesses. They’re opening up, sharing their tips, tricks (and tumbles), and letting me pick their brains as I build out my own business, As ever.” She said the process of interviewing has been “absolutely eye-opening, inspiring…and fun!”
