Meghan Markle opens up about her post-partum life

It's easy to assume that royals and celebrities have life easier than most of us do. In the case of Meghan Markle, the statement resonates twice, as she has been associated with both labels. From her role in the TV series Suits to being Prince Harry's wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is a celebrity who everybody envies. Her love story and life aren't short of a fairytale.

But such assumptions were proven to be false by Meghan, in the debut episode of her new podcast show. For the first episode of the show 'Confessions of a Female Founder', the Duchess sat down with Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of the hit dating app, Bumble. While on the topic of children, Meghan revealed that Herd and her suffered from the same postpartum affliction, preeclampsia.

The Duchess recounted how scary her experience was during this whole turmoil, saying, “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,” she recounts. She pinpoints how challenging it can be to be present for everyone while continuing to struggle when alone.

 “I mean life or death, truly. It’s, like, really scary,” added Herd, emphasising the gravity of the condition that both the women had to battle through. Most cases of postpartum preeclampsia develop within 48 hours after delivery, according to the Preeclampsia Foundation.

While the Duchess did not share whether she suffered from preeclampsia with her first or second pregnancy, she did emphasise showing up for her children. "And in the quiet, you’re still just trying to show up mostly for your children. But those things are huge medical scares,” she confesses to Herd, who sympathises. "I was like, ‘Oh my God, how is this woman doing this? Like, ‘How is this woman putting on heels and going and debuting a child in this… beautiful outfit in front of the entire world? I could barely face a doorbell delivery for takeout food," adds Herd, recounting the time Meghan debuted her son Archie after becoming a new mom.

What is supposed to be a joyful time for a new mother can take a scary turn; both Meghan and Herd went on to discuss other difficulties and problems faced by women during postpartum and pregnancy time, also detailing the changing landscape of mental health in the pre- and post-Covid world.

The Duchess of Sussex will be hosting her new podcast on a weekly basis for a total of 8 episodes. The podcast will air on Spotify, YouTube, Apple and various other audio platforms, where Meghan will be having candid conversations with female founders and friends post their business's success and revealing never-told stories about them that led to their lives. This is Meghan's second foray into the world of podcasts after releasing Archetypes via Spotify.

Her and Herd's tale serves as a reminder to women everywhere that they are not alone in their hardships, as many other women have experienced similar difficult postpartum periods. It helps to know you are not alone in your battles and that they can be overcome.