Babys First Year Blog
I Had a Baby… Now I Am Losing My Hair
Hair? What Hair?
Three kids later, I am still shocked and amazed when my hair starts to fall out in giant clumps. I am honestly not sure if all women go through it, but if you do… my heart goes out to you because this sucks!
The correct term is postpartum alopecia which my husband has nicknamed postpartum propecia and has started to call me a chia pet because no matter where in my house you go, you can find my hair all over the place.
Bathroom…
Living room…
Our bed is probably the worst… just this morning after I got up I noticed what looked like a chunk of hair… yup, that is exactly what it was… right on my pillow!
But I didn’t know this was as common as it is. But what really confuses me is the fact that it doesn’t start until 2-3 months postpartum. And lasts for about three months. Gradually the condition gets better, but not before it gets worse…
I never realized how much hair a single person can lose without going bald, because I am pretty sure I should look like Howie Mandel by now.
While researchers still are not clear as to what causes postpartum alopecia, they have been able to link it in hormonal changes in your body after having a baby. Childbirth really does a number on us huh? Even months after the fact.
I guess it was no joke when my mother told me as a child… motherhood would make me lose my hair. Well we can just check that off the “to-do list”.
There are simple treatments such as adding vitamins, and more vegetables, and fruits into your diet, but if you are already eating healthy, and going the vitamin thing, I wouldn’t worry about it and just let it pass…
Have you experienced postpartum alopecia?
Did you know what it was?
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15 Comments
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I Had a Baby… Now I Am Losing My Hair – Babble (blog)- commented on Aug 11 11 at 11:17 amHeyBeckyJ commented on Aug 11 11 at 11:31 amI’ve lost sooo much hair, it seems impossible that I would have any left! My daughter is almost 7 months and the hair loss seems to be finally slowing down. But for the past 3-4 months, it has just been hair, hair, everywhere! It has almost made me miss being pregnant, when I had a fuller, thicker head of hair than normal. Almost…
lo commented on Aug 11 11 at 12:06 pmEverything in latin sound exotic doesn’t it! How appropriate, dead language term for dead hair. Well I guess they were not exactly alive when attached to the head. O yes I’m shedding hairs in chunks…and dislike (hate really) when somebody comments my curls don’t look like they used too. Why don’t we shed pounds at the same rate is my question, weren’t they also a by-product of the pregnancy along with full bouncy hair? :-)
Grace M. commented on Aug 11 11 at 12:19 pmI lost hair for about a month at the beginning of my pregnancy (doctor thought it was due to the fertility treatment I’d been on) and now I’m losing it again! I should be bald as bowling ball by now. Luckily I have very very thick hair and a wonderful hairstylist who knows how to hide the loss.
Kate commented on Aug 11 11 at 12:49 pmI can’t believe the amount of hair I’ve lost. My parents always complain about it when I visit, as there are these visible strands or clumps of bright blonde hair EVERYWHERE. When I sweep our laminate floors, it looks like my broom is wearing a damn wig.
Denne commented on Aug 11 11 at 12:57 pmTelogen effluvium is another name for it if you wanted to google some more info about it. It’s very common but still distressing and unfortunate when it happens to you.
Bridget commented on Aug 11 11 at 1:10 pmI lose my hair in droves when I’m not pregnant. Hubs cracks jokes about it all the time. Even while pregnant I still lose a lot of hair. It was depressing to look in my shower drain after my first son and see a small animal.
Julie commented on Aug 11 11 at 2:31 pmYes, it has happened to me. Problem is, it’s only in addition to my normal hair loss. I’m sick of looking at my thinning hair, it’s depressing.
Hollie commented on Aug 11 11 at 3:26 pmMy baby girl is 6.5 months, and I just stopped nursing three weeks ago. As soon as I stopped BF’ing, BAM! Bald City, baby! I brush before the shower and after the shower, and still had to clean a hamster out of the drain last weekend. Awful.
Emma Johnson commented on Aug 11 11 at 3:26 pmMy hair just started to fall out, and my bean is 4 months old. My bathroom counter is covered in dirty blonde tumbleweeds. It looks like my entire scalp has dropped onto the surface, but I still have a ton of hair. I guess the hairdresser doesn’t need to thin out my mane anymore.
mccn commented on Aug 11 11 at 5:18 pmThe only thing that I have found to make a difference with hair loss is protein – I now eat a ton of protein for breakfast (8oz cottage cheese, 2 eggs, salmon) and lunch AND I take those gelatin capsules at each meal, too. I think my body just needs tons of protein to feel comfortable it has enough to make hair with!
Aimee Carter commented on Aug 12 11 at 7:02 amThose are the worst months for me. It drives me crazy. Just like you my hair was everywhere. And the bed had to one of the worse places, all over my pillow. I also hate doing laundry and finding what we have called “hair spiders”. My hair gets all clumped together and looks spiderish at some point durring the laundry cycle and the hair that doesn’t end up in a ball some how ends up weaving itself into our clothing. At ten months PP I am thankful to finally be through that stage and now I’m on to seeing regrowth.
kathleen commented on Aug 12 11 at 10:27 amI have a one yr old and I’m due in two months with my next. I have had blood tests done and studies down to figure out why my hair is falling out. It is so depressing. One of the few things I like about myself is my head of hair and its super thin now. :(
Gloria Sedano-Sarabia commented on Aug 13 11 at 6:07 amCALCIUM! Take it as often as possible, if possible 5 times a day. This happened to me because I breastfeed. Breastfeeding takes a whole lot of calcium away from you, including from your teeth (which I am now suffering the consequences of). I know of other friends whom also breastfeed and lost hair after 2-3 months after birth. I know of friends whom did NOT breastfeed and didn’t experience any hair loss. After I stopped breastfeeding at 4 1/2 months, my hair stopped falling significantly. I used to loose 3 hand-fulls of hair every time I showered and believe it or not I FEARED showering and for that reason would avoid it for a week. That’s how much my hair fell out! My hair falls off 20 times less than what used to fall off after I stopped breastfeeding. I feel much better and will start myself off on prenatal pills again in attempts to grow that beautiful luscious hair that I had during pregnancy.
Danielle M. Alger commented on Aug 13 11 at 8:13 amWhile you are pregnant, you very rarely shed your hair. We’re supposed to lose 80-100 hairs a day. About 9 mo w/ out shedding, it catches up to you right around the time your baby is shedding his or her newborn hair. It’s all completely normal. I’m a stylist & when I have a pregnant client, I always inform them of this so they don’t freak out. The same thing happened to me when my little girl was about 4mo. =)
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