During the first episode of her new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, Meghan Markle revealed she’d suffered from a ‘scary’ and ‘rare’ condition after giving birth

Meghan Markle has opened up about a ‘huge health scare’ she suffered after pregnancy. The Duchess of Sussex, 43, has today launched a new podcast series titled Confessions of a Female Founder, where she will sit down with different female founders to speak about “the success, the struggles, and the never-before-told stories of building a business.” And in the debut episode, she recalled a ‘scary’ hidden health battle that she experienced.

As part of the first episode Meghan is joined by close friend Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of the dating app Bumble. As well as speaking about Whitney’s success, the pair also shared a heartfelt moment where they opened up on a health condition they’d both experienced after becoming mums, with Meghan describing it as a “scary” experience. As she shines a light on her condition, the Mirror takes a look at the health battles she’s discussed in the past…

‘Huge medical scare’

While speaking to Whitney on her new Confessions of a Female Founder podcast, Meghan revealed that she’d experienced postpartum preeclampsia. The rare condition is where people have high blood pressure and excess protein in their urine soon after childbirth, with most cases typically developing within 48 hours of giving birth. Left untreated postpartum preeclampsia can lead to complications including seizures, stroke and thromboembolism.

Speaking of her own experience, Meghan explained: “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. It’s so rare and so scary.

“And 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.” Whitney replied: “I mean life or death, truly.”

‘Unbearable’ miscarriage

In November 2020, the Duchess of Sussex revealed she’d had a miscarriage in July and described feeling “an almost unbearable grief”. In a piece for the New York Times titled ‘The Losses We Share’, Meghan bravely opened up on her experience as she recalled watching her “husband’s heart break as he tried to hold the shattered pieces of mine”.

In the heartbreaking piece, Meghan described the moment she “dropped to the floor” after feeling a “sharp cramp” while holding Archie. “After changing his diaper, I felt a sharp cramp. I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right,” she wrote. “I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second.”

Meghan was praised for her bravery after opening up about her miscarriage(Image: Getty Images)

In response to the courageous article, readers flocked to social media where they thanked Meghan for speaking out and praised her for her bravery. “Very moving words from Meghan Markle. She’s right by saying miscarriage is a taboo topic people do not like to talk about. I think it’s brave of her to share this with the public and offer words of encouragement to other mothers who have lost a child,” wrote one.

Another added: “It’s incredibly brave of Meghan Markle to share her painful experience with us and to highlight that these issues affects us all, whether it be firsthand, or being a partner, relative, friend etc. This shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of or taboo.”

Mental health struggles

Over the years, Meghan has also candidly discussed her mental health. In an emotional chat with Oprah Winfrey in 2021, the Duchess said she had suicidal thoughts during her time in the royal family. She told Oprah she “didn’t want to be alive anymore” and when asked directly if she was thinking of self-harm and having suicidal thoughts at some stage, Meghan replied “yes”.

“I was really ashamed to say it at the time and ashamed to have to admit it to Harry especially, because I know how much loss he has suffered, but I knew that if I didn’t say it, then I would do it,” she said. “I just didn’t want to be alive anymore.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with CBS in 2024, the Duchess of Sussex explained why she’d chosen to open up about her mental health. “When you’ve been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey – certainly part of mine – is being able to be really open about it.

“I really scraped the surface on my experience, but I do think that I would never want someone else to feel that way and I would never want someone else to be making those sort of plans and I would never want someone else to not be believed.”

She added: “If me voicing what I have overcome will save someone or encourage someone in their life to really, genuinely check in on them and not assume that the appearance is good so everything is okay, then that’s worth it. I’ll take a hit for that.”