Meghan Markle Reveals "Scary" Post-Birth Health Battle in First Episode of New Podcast

Meghan Markle is back in the podcast game, having launched her second podcast, "Confessions of a Female Founder," on Tuesday, April 8. The Lemonada Media production features the Duchess of Sussex interviewing female entrepreneurs in a variety of industries, and during the first episode—featuring Meghan's close friend Whitney Wolfe Herd—she revealed a terrifying personal story along with her insights on building a business.

The duchess shared that Herd, who founded dating app Bumble, is one of her "closest friends" and has been instrumental in giving her advice as she's built her new lifestyle brand, As ever. The two first met at a New Year's Eve party at the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's home, and have since bonded over motherhood and business.

"We both had very similar experiences—though we didn't know each other at the time—with postpartum, and we both had preeclampsia," the duchess said. "Postpartum preeclampsia. It's so rare and so scary."

Meghan continued, "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, and in the quiet, you're still just trying to show up mostly for your children—but those things are huge medical scares."

"I mean life or death, truly," Wolfe Herd chimed in. Although the duchess didn't elaborate on which child she experienced the health scare with, the condition causes new mothers to experience high blood pressure and excess protein in the urine and can be potentially deadly.

Speaking of new motherhood, the Bumble CEO—who is the mom of two sons—shared how she felt when she saw the photos of the Duchess of Sussex during her 2019 newborn photocall with Prince Archie.

"I mean, I'll never forget the image of you after you delivered Archie, and the whole world was waiting for his debut," she said. "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, you know, beautiful outfit in front of the entire world?'" Wolfe Herd continued, causing Meghan to laugh when she added, "I could barely face a doorbell delivery for takeout food in a robe. I was like, 'Please don't look at me! Leave it down the street.'"

When it comes to her kids Archie and Lilibet, Meghan said the ability to work from home was key. "Lili still naps, she gets picked up early and she naps, she only has a half day in preschool," she said. "If she wakes up and she wants to find me, she knows where to find me, even if my door is closed to the office."

"She'll be sitting there on my lap during one of these meetings with a grid of all the executives," the Duchess of Sussex continued. "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.”