Meghan Markle Opens Up About Her 'Rare' Life-Threatening Postpartum Health Scare

In the debut episode of her new podcast, Meghan Markle opened up about experiencing a life-threatening health scare after her pregnancy.

Speaking with Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, she reflected on the pressures of motherhood, launching her lifestyle brand As Ever, and cherishing time with her kids.

The eight-episode series, produced with Lemonada Media, will see Meghan Markle discuss women's journeys in entrepreneurship and revisit her earlier Archetypes episodes.

Meghan got deeply personal, i the premiere episode of her new podcast "Confessions of a Female Founder," sharing a frightening chapter from her motherhood journey.

Speaking with longtime friend Herd, the Duchess of Sussex revealed that she experienced postpartum preeclampsia, a rare but dangerous condition that can develop after childbirth.

"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," Meghan shared. "It's so rare and so scary."

Reflecting on the challenges of early motherhood, Meghan revealed that the health scare unfolded behind the scenes while she was still expected to maintain her public-facing duties.

"And you're still trying to juggle all of these things, and the world doesn't know what's happening quietly," she said, per the New York Post. "And in the quiet, you're still trying to show up for people, mostly for your children, but those things are huge medical scares."

Herd echoed the gravity of the condition, which claims tens of thousands of maternal lives and half a million babies annually worldwide, adding: "I mean life or death, truly."

During the episode, Herd reflected on a striking memory: Meghan stepping out to introduce baby Archie to the world just two days after giving birth at Windsor Castle in May 2019.

"I'll never forget the image of you after you delivered Archie, and the whole world was waiting for his debut," Herd 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?"

She added with a laugh, "I could barely face a doorbell delivery for takeout food in a robe."

Later in the episode, Meghan also touched on the subject of raising two young children while launching As Ever, her new lifestyle brand.

The Duchess spoke about the challenge of staying grounded as a mother while navigating the pressures of building a business from the ground up.

Meghan also opened up about life with her daughter Lilibet, who, at age 3, still enjoys her midday naps and attends preschool part-time.

"If she wakes up and wants to find me, she knows where to find me, even if my door is closed to the office," she said.

The Duchess continued, "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."

She reflected on the experience of building a business while raising little ones.

"What I do love the most about having young kids in this chapter while I'm building is the perspective that it brings," she added. "Because you're building something while your child is going through potty training."

Herd added: "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."

Prior to the release of her first podcast episode, Meghan also enjoyed the successful launch of her lifestyle brand, As Ever.

The product launch debuted with a selection of artisanal goods, including jams, teas, and baked treats.

The first official lineup included a $28 wildflower honey with honeycomb, $12 herbal teas (available in hibiscus, peppermint, and lemon ginger), a $14 crêpe mix, and shortbread cookies decorated with flower sprinkles.

A jar of raspberry jam was also listed at $14, while edible flower sprinkles were priced at $15.

Despite reports of a rocky launch, Meghan's products flew off the virtual shelves and sold out within 30 minutes.

Meghan's products were so popular with fans that she ran into an issue due to the massive orders.

Customers were frustrated after rushing to buy her wildflower honey, only to learn their orders wouldn't be fulfilled.

The buzz around the brand launch led to an unexpected surge in website traffic, and the entire collection sold out quickly. However, the site's backend couldn't keep up with the pace, leading to some orders being accepted after stock had already run out.

Getting in front of the issue, Meghan sent an email to the customer apologizing for the incident.

She said, "Dear friend, My goodness, what a whirlwind this week has been! Thank you so much for the support. It really means so much to me."

The Duchess continued: "I was so sorry to hear about what happened with your order, and that due to overselling we are not able to get you the Limited-Edition Honey. Please know the team worked very hard in every department and felt just as sad when we learned what had happened."

To make it right, Meghan promised affected fans they'd be first in line for the next release and wouldn't need to lift a finger.

"No need to order," she assured them. "It will come to you in the mail as a gift from me."