Meghan Markle opens up about her frightening medical ordeal after giving birth: ‘Rare, scary’

Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, made a big revelation on Tuesday. Detailing her experience with postpartum pre-eclampsia after giving birth to one of her children, she mentioned that the condition was "so rare" and yet "so scary".

Discussing medical complications she endured during the postpartum period, she said, “You're still trying to juggle all these things and the world doesn't know what is happening, quietly and in the quiet you are still trying to show up for people,” in the first episode of her new podcast - ‘Confessions of a Female Founder.’

Narrating the ordeal, the wife of Prince Harry who appeared as the host in the Archewell Audio Productions podcast, shared, “You're still trying to show up, mostly for your children. But those things are huge medical scares.” However, the 43-year-old did not disclose whether she suffered pre-eclampsia after the birth of five-year-old son Archie or three-year-old daughter Lilibet.

Bumble Chief executive, Whitney Wolfe Herd, featured as Meghan's first podcast guest. The chief of online dating platform said that she had also suffered from the condition and described as "life or death" in the podcast. The podcast titled "The Evolution of the Entrepreneur with Bumble's Whitney Wolfe Herd" debuted on April 8 following which is latest Meghan's show after the release of her Netflix lifestyle series ‘With Love, Meghan.’ This also comes after the launch of her new brand ‘As Ever’ in 2024.

What is pre-eclampsia?

According to Britain's National Health Service, pre-eclampsia is a condition that affects some pregnant women. This medical condition is prevalent usually during the second half of pregnancy or occurs soon after birth.

Know early signs of pre-eclampsia

High blood pressure and protein in the urine may appear as early signs of pre-eclampsia. NHS suggests that severe headaches, vision problems, pain below the ribs and vomiting are often symptoms of pre-eclampsia in some cases.

Notably, many cases of pre-eclampsia are mild but the condition can lead to serious complications for both the mother and the baby if it is not monitored and treated, NHS said.