Meghan Markle has revealed new details about a health scare following the birth of her children, sharing her experience with postpartum pre-eclampsia in the debut episode of her new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, which launched Tuesday.
In an honest and emotional conversation with Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, Meghan, 43, reflected on how both women faced the condition after giving birth—despite not knowing each other at the time.
“We both had very similar experiences,” Meghan said. “We both had pre-eclampsia. It’s so rare and so scary, and you’re still trying to juggle everything while the world doesn’t see what’s really going on. These are huge medical scares.”
Whitney agreed, describing the experience as “life or death, truly.”
Postpartum pre-eclampsia is a serious condition involving high blood pressure and protein in the urine after childbirth. If untreated, it can lead to seizures and other life-threatening complications.
Whitney praised Meghan’s strength, recalling how the Duchess stepped into the spotlight just two days after giving birth to Archie in May 2019: “I’ll never forget seeing you debut Archie to the world… I was either just becoming or about to become a new mom and thought, ‘How is this woman doing this?’ You were in heels, beautifully dressed, introducing your newborn son under global scrutiny. It was incredible.”
Meghan also opened up about balancing motherhood with running a business, describing the joy of working from home and being present for her children.
“We became moms during the pandemic and in this post-pandemic culture of working from home,” she said. “I don’t leave for an office — it’s here. Lili still naps and only goes to preschool for half a day. If she wakes up and wants to find me, she knows where I am. Even if my door is closed, she’ll come sit on my lap during a meeting. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She added, “I don’t want to miss those little moments. I don’t want to miss drop-off or pickup if I can help it.”
Meghan also shared a sweet memory of her first meeting with Whitney and her husband during a quiet New Year’s Eve celebration, recalling Archie’s fascination with Whitney’s cowboy-themed outfit.
“We weren’t out partying — we had a very calm, East Coast-style New Year’s,” Meghan laughed. “You came over with friends, and that was the first time we met. To this day, Archie still asks, ‘When do I get to see the cowboys again?’ That impression really stuck with him.”
Whitney chimed in with a smile: “He was so little and so sweet. I remember he ran out in a PJ Masks costume — and that’s how our friendship began.”
