Trigger Warning: This article discusses miscarriage and baby loss that some readers may find upsetting
Meghan Markle has opened up about the pain of losing a child, after discussing her miscarriage in a recent episode of her podcast.
The Duchess of Sussex has previously spoken about her loss in an article she wrote for the New York Times in 2020.
She explained that, after feeling a 'sharp cramp' while changing her son Archie's nappy, she learned that she had suffered a miscarriage.
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"I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second," she wrote.
"I dropped to the floor with him in my arms, humming a lullaby to keep us both calm, the cheerful tune a stark contrast to my sense that something was not right."
She went on: "Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband's hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears.
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"Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we'd heal."
In a recent interview, Meghan has now touched on her loss once again, discussing what happened on her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast with Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani
"I'll bring this up if you're comfortable talking about it, because I know you've spoken publicly," the former Suits actress said.
"I've spoken about the miscarriage that we experienced, and I think in some parallel way, you have to learn to detach from the thing that you have so much promise and hope for, and to be able to be ok at a certain point to let something go, something that you planned to love for a long time."
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Reshma responded: "I feel like you're reading my diary, that's really insightful."
It's not the first time Meghan has spoken about becoming a mum on her podcast, as in a recent episode with Bumble founder Whitney Wolfe Herd, she spoke about suffering from pre-eclampsia after birth.
Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition that can occur during birth or in the postpartum period. It is characterised by high blood pressure and protein in the urine.
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"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 Meghan.
"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. And in the quiet, you're still trying to show up for people - mostly for your children - but those things are huge medical scares."
In response, Whitney said she would 'never forget' the images of Meghan shortly after Archie's birth.
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"I mean, I'll never forget the image of you after you delivered Archie, and the whole world was waiting for his debut.
"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?'"
If you have been impacted by this article, you can find help, support and advice at baby loss charities, Tommy's and Sands.
Topics: Meghan Markle, Pregnancy, Parenting, Royal Family
Lucy Devine