Meghan Markle Opens Up About Postpartum Preeclampsia
In the debut episode of her new podcast Confessions of a Female Founder, Meghan Markle shared one of the most difficult moments of her life: dealing with postpartum preeclampsia.
This conversation, recorded with her friend and founder of the app Bumble, Whitney Wolfe Herd, marked a kickoff for the series, where the Duchess speaks from her experience as a mother and entrepreneur.
Meghan Markle postpartum
During the 50-minute episode, Meghan gave an honest account of the scare she experienced during her pregnancy.
The medical condition, which she defined as “so rare and so scary,” affected her health at a time when she had to keep fulfilling public commitments, something that added emotional pressure that was difficult to handle.
Wolfe Herd also revealed having gone through the same thing, and both agreed that the experience was more common than you might think, but silent and lonely.
As they discussed, postpartum preeclampsia is responsible for more than 70,000 maternal deaths and half a million fetal deaths worldwide each year.
Meghan explained that, despite going through a serious health issue, she felt she had to keep “showing up for people,” especially her children.
In the Duchess’ words, “the world doesn’t know what’s happening quietly,” and yet you still have to keep going, even if inside you’re facing a real medical scare.
Wolfe Herd took the opportunity to recall one of the most talked-about moments in Meghan’s public life: the official presentation of little Archie to the world, in a photo shoot at Windsor Castle, just two days after giving birth.
“I’ll never forget the image of you after you delivered Archie, and the whole world was waiting for his debut,” she recalled. “I was either just becoming or about to become a new mom, and 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.”
Meghan also talked about the present. She shared how she is trying to balance motherhood with her new career.
Her three-year-old daughter Lilibet still takes frequent naps and attends only half-day preschool, so mom’s presence is still very important.
“If she wakes up and wants to find me, she knows where to find me, even if my door is closed to the office,” Meghan commented tenderly. “She’ll be sitting there on my lap during one of these meetings with a grid of all the executives… I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t want to miss those moments. I don’t want to miss pickup if I don’t have to. I don’t want to miss drop-off.”
For Meghan, the most valuable thing about raising young children while building her new venture-the lifestyle brand As Ever-is the perspective it gives her.
“Because you’re building something while your child is going through potty training,” she reflected.
Wolfe Herd added that technology has been key at this stage, allowing her to be present as a mother and a professional at the same time.
“Technology is a beautiful tool for parents because you can dial in and be present and do a great job on the call while you sit in the carpool line outside school. Like, why do I need to be at a desk? I have the same mental opinion in a carpool line.”
With the premiere of the podcast, Meghan shared on social media some endearing photos from her childhood, selling cookies as a Girl Scout.
She accompanied the images with a message loaded with humor and pride: “Being an entrepreneur can start young. (By the way, all these years later and I’m still selling cookies!) 🍪”
The series, which will run for eight episodes, is part of a new deal with Lemonada Media, signed in February 2024, after Spotify cancelled the second year of its previous Archetypes podcast, which will now be redistributed across all platforms by Lemonada.
