Meghan Markle revealed that she suffered from potentially life-threatening postpartum preeclampsia. The 43-year-old Duchess of Sussex didn’t specify whether she experienced the rare condition following the birth of her now five-year-old son, Archie, or his three-year-old sister, Lilibet.
According to NBC News, Meghan announced the news on her new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, while talking with her good friend Whitney Wolfe Herd, the founder of Bumble.
“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,” said the duchess. “It’s so rare ... and so scary.”
Postpartum preeclampsia is indeed a rare condition that most commonly occurs within 48 hours after giving birth, but can happen up to six weeks after a baby is born, says the Cleveland Clinic. It causes high blood pressure and high levels of protein in the urine. It’s a serious illness that can lead to brain damage, stroke and death if not treated promptly.
Symptoms include high blood pressure, severe headaches, changes in vision, swelling of the hands, face, feet or limbs, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, rapid weight gain and possible shortness of breath. Even women who have never had high blood pressure, or preeclampsia, a similar condition that occurs while pregnant, can get postpartum preeclampsia.
Once diagnosed, doctors may treat postpartum preeclampsia with blood pressure medicine to lower blood pressure levels, antiseizure medications such as magnesium sulfate to prevent seizures, and blood thinning medicine to reduce the risk of blood clots.
While there is no way to prevent or avoid postpartum preeclampsia, knowing the symptoms and seeking immediate medical treatment may save your life, as well as prevent permanent damage to the brain, liver and kidneys, and reduce the risk of seizures, stroke, blood clots, and possibly death. Early detection and prompt treatment with medication is the best way to ensure full recovery.