
Meghan Markle has shared a deeply personal and seldom-discussed health experience, revealing for the first time that she suffered from postpartum pre-eclampsia following one of her pregnancies.
This condition, while rare, can pose serious risks to new mothers in the period after giving birth.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, opened up about the ordeal in the premiere episode of her new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder.
The episode debuted on April 8 and featured a heartfelt conversation between Meghan and Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd.
Meghan Markle shares her experience with postpartum pre-eclampsia
During the discussion, Meghan spoke candidly about the hidden challenges she faced in early motherhood while quietly navigating a serious medical condition.
“We both had very similar experiences, though we didn’t know each other at the time, with postpartum, and we both had pre-eclampsia. Postpartum preeclampsia,” Meghan shared.
“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. In the quiet, you’re still trying to show up for people, mostly for your children, but those things are huge medical scares.”

Whitney, who also faced the same condition, agreed: “I mean, life or death, truly.”
Postpartum pre-eclampsia is a rare but serious health issue, marked by high blood pressure and elevated protein levels in the urine after childbirth. It often appears without warning and, if left untreated, can lead to severe headaches, visual disturbances, swelling, or even seizures, according to the NHS.
Meghan did not clarify whether the condition developed after giving birth to her son Prince Archie in 2019 or her daughter Princess Lilibet in 2021.
How many children does Meghan Markle have?