Meghan Markle shared on her debut episode of her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder that she had postpartum preeclampsia after childbirth.This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Meghan Markle had experience with postpartum preeclampsia following childbirth
Meghan Markle shared about having postpartum preeclampsia, which is a disease that can be “deadly,” according to a medical expert.
The Duchess of Sussex’s discussed postpartum preeclampsia with close friend and Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd on the debut episode of her new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder. The debut episode aired on April 8, and Meghan disclosed that she and Whitney both experienced the disease which Whitney confirmed as well. Meghan did not specify if she suffered postpartum preeclampsia following the birth of son, Prince Archie, 5, or her daughter, Princess Lilibet, 3. Whitney is the mother of two sons.
“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,” 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 – mostly for your children — but those things are huge medical scares.”
Meghan and Harry have two children: Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Meghan disclosed having postpartum preeclampsia on her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder(Image: Getty Images)
Board Certified Nephrologist Dr. Marcelle Hofedlt talked to The Mirror US about the rare and potentially “deadly” condition. Dr. Hofeldt, who is not Meghan’s doctor, provided information on postpartum preeclampsia.
The doctor shared that postpartum preeclampsia occurs after childbirth, which has been dubbed as the “fourth trimester” of pregnancy. It can happen 48 hours after childbirth, but can sometimes develop 6 weeks later. Preeclampsia “is a high blood pressure condition of pregnancy usually ‘new onset,’ due to a combination of maternal (mother) and fetal risk factors that can damage blood vessels and may lead to kidney, liver, and brain injury in severe cases” as well as develop into eclampsia (“sudden onset of seizures”). She shared that 1 in 4 cases of preeclampsia evolves into postpartum preeclampsia.
Dr. Hofeldt shared that another component of postpartum preeclampsia is that protein may spill into the urine which doesn’t happen in all cases. But when there is protein spillage in the urine, it is the result of “the lining of the small blood vessels called glomeruli or filters of the kidney are injured and leaking protein into the urine.”
According to Preeclampsia Foundation, Nearly 75% of the maternal deaths related to preeclampsia happened in the postpartum period.
The symptoms of postpartum preeclampsia are high blood pressure (hypertension) specifically blood pressure that is 160/110 or greater or 140/90 with another symptom and the “most common symptom” is a severe headache that is caused by the increase in blood pressure. The severe headache may have other neurologically indicators such as “visual changes with sensitivity to light, blurred vision or flashing lights “can help distinguish it from a simple postpartum headache that is much more common.”
Dr. Hofeldt went on to share the other symptoms that may include “shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, abdominal pain, edema or swelling, decrease in urination, protein in the urine and if large amounts may look ‘bubbly,’ or foamy, and if symptoms are severe can lead to kidney and liver damage, heart failure, low platelets (cells responsible for clotting) and HELLP syndrome.”
HELLP syndrome stands for “Hemolysis or breakdown of red blood cells, EL with elevation in liver enzymes indicating liver damage, and LP or low platelets that affects blood clotting.” The syndrome can harm the kidneys, make the lungs fluid-filled, swelling in the brain in severe cases and can be fatal if fatal. HELLP happens in 10% of patients with severe preeclampsia.
Dr. H shared some of the risk factors of postpartum preeclampsia which included obesity, maternal age above 35, prior high blood pressure due to a previous pregnancy and having caesarean (C-section) delivery. A few sources mentioned race, specifically Black women as a risk factor.
“Black women are at higher risk because they are disproportionately affected by well-established risk factors for postpartum preeclampsia including obesity and high blood pressure not due to race per se as a genetic basis for preeclampsia has not been identified,” she explained.
Dr. H also added that researchers are working hard to understand the causes of vascular diseases like postpartum preeclampsia. Fortunately, there are treatments for postpartum preeclampsia. The board certified nephrologist said that the key to treatment is lowering of blood pressure with medications. She added that depending on the seriousness of high blood pressure and if it includes other organ systems, it “will require hospitalization to treat rapidly with intravenous (IV) blood pressure medications, seizure medications, diuretics or water pills if needed, and once stabilized to transition to oral medications.”
Dr. H mentioned that the risk of severe outcomes for women may be worse in postpartum preeclampsia than preeclampsia. She shared that the reason could be because of the close monitoring that happens during pregnancy and the “potential lack of awareness by providers at urgent care, and emergency rooms to consider preeclampsia in the postpartum period, and that it does not require the presence of protein in the urine to make the diagnosis.”
Meghan did not specify which childbirth lead to postpartum preeclampsia (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Dr. H mentioned that more than 60% of maternal deaths occur in the postpartum period and hypertension (high blood pressure) was a contributing factor. She added that cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure “is the leading cause of death among new mothers and accounts for more than 1 in 3 pregnancy related deaths in the United States.”
The American Heart Association and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) reports that long-term outcomes for women who experience hypertensive disorders such as preeclampsia and high blood pressure during pregnancy puts her at a higher risk cardiovascular disease, long term high blood pressure, and heart failure later on in life.
Dr. H noted that the ACOG in 2018 recommended that all women see their obstetrician–gynecologists or other obstetric care providers within the first three weeks of giving birth and then should be followed up with on-going care as needed.
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