4 Months Postpartum and Loosing My hair..Help!

Hello W.,

Yes, I just got through this myself. Two daughters, hair was fine, but 23 mos. ago got the son I always wanted and lost my hair along the hair line in the front. I did nothing and it is as thick as it was before his birth. Navy wife of 20 years.

Hi W., I think loosing hair after giving birth is normal for a lot of women, I myself lost chunks of hair while I was breast feeding both of my boys, and I got it all back after I was done breast feeding, it took a while though to look like before, but it will grow back.

Hi there!

Don't worry too much. This happened to me as well. Over time it will come back. I know it isn't pleasant, but be patient!

Hi W.,
I'm a proud stay at home Marine wife of 6 years. (My husband is sitting next to me and he said I need to put that!:) The same thing happened to me after both of my pregnancies. I was warned that it would happen before it began after my first baby was born, so I knew it was normal, but it was still surprising how much hair I could lose! I think it was worse after the second baby, but I can't remember real clearly. That memory loss! I know after a while I could see a lot more scalp than I was used to on the top of my head, but after several months I could see some new growth along the hairline. I think my hair is now thinner than it ever was before, and I think I still lose more now than I used to (and baby #2 is almost 2 years old), but I still have sufficient hair so I try not to think about it or worry about it. I have curly hair too, and it is pretty frizzy. If the frizz continues and bothers you, I will tell you my technique, right after I get out of the shower, I brush it then put mousse (Herbal Essences is my favorite) on my hair while it is wet. Then I let the hair dry and I don't brush it again (until after I wash it again). The hair loss may continue for several months and I think it is completely normal, but if it's getting so thin that it concerns you, it couldn't hurt to ask your doctor about it. One way I know to stop it immediately is to get pregnant again!:) My first baby was 6 months old and I was losing tons of hair, when I got pregnant with #2. Not only did the hair loss stop, but I got tons of new growth - most noticeable right around the hairline around my face (I rarely lost any hair at all during both of my pregnancies, but made up for it afterward!)

Don't worry this is totally normal and happened to me and a lot of my friends starting at 4 months. I have read and heard that it is caused by changing levels of hormones after you deliver. During pregnancy if you didn't notice your hair was thicker and nails stronger. Now your body is just going back to normal. I know it is annoying and a little disheartening, but I promise you wont lose all your hair. My hair loss slowed around 6 months post partum.

Hi W.,
Hair loss after giving birth is normal.Lost LOTS of hair after each of my 4 pregnancies!! Thought that it was WIERD! BUT was told it was because of our hormones.

GOT the following information & advice from JULY's issue of PARENTING:

While you were pregnant your estrogen levels were higher, which caused your hair (even nails) to grow & be more lush. After you give birth your estrogen levels drop and you'll shed the hair you didn't during pregnancy PLUS the 100 hairs that you'd shed normally daily.
Right now your hair & body is getting back to normal.
A dermatopathologist reccomended that it's a good idea to baby your hair with rich conditioners, Never BRUSH wet hair (USE a wide-tooth comb instead), Don't make ponytails/updo's too tight, & stay away from coloring products w/ harsh cheicals.
Also I think that taking your prenatal vitamins is a great idea after having your baby.
I hope that I was of some help. :)
Aloha~V.

My daughter is 5 months old today. For about 3 months i too had lots of hair loss! I hear that is hormone related. I had so much hair coming out, i had to vacumm every day practically. I even went and bought drain cleaner in case my hair was causing plumbing problems. Now things are back to normal. I think it is just a phase after delivery. With my first i do not remember expierencing it, but this time around i did!

Hi W., I would recommend that you go to an endocrinologist or have your doctor test your thyroid function. After my son was born, I had similar symptoms and I already had a thyroid function, so I had it checked and needed my medication adjusted. It is possible that your thyroid is having trouble adjusting after having been higher functioning during your pregnancy. Best wishes to you!

Dear W.,
Try CVS' brand of "Rogaine". It is less expensive than brand name and although it will take a little while for your hair to re-grow...It will! But-Most of all-Your hair will quit falling out !! And almost right away.
I know this because I had a similar problem.
Now, I only use it about 1-2 times a week.
Best of Luck to You!
C. S.

After my first child, a boy, I lost a lot of hair too (I too have curly hair and was vacuuming the floor everyday!). After my second child, a girl, I didn't have quite the same hair loss. I'm about to have my third child, a boy, so we'll see if it has something to do with the gender of the child.

Because I have a lot of thick hair, I actually didn't mind the hair loss.
During pregnancy, the body doesn't "shed" the normal amount of hair. Perhaps you just became used to the "extra" hair and forgot what your "normal" amount was.
I wouldn't worry about it. Give yourself a year post-partum before considering a medical consultation.
Good luck

Hey W.,
This happened to me also. I thought is was a direct result of breastfeeding, but when it didn't stop when I quit I saw a doctor. I have a wonderful doctor who later diagnosed me with PCOD. It caused me to be anemic and also to have horrible fluxes in my hormones. If it keeps going on, I don’t think it would hurt to see a doctor just to check things out. Hope this helps.

Hair loss is normal post partum, due to all the changes in hormones, but when it is an excessive amoujts, as your case sounds...then it is more likely due to a true hormonal imbalance likely due to nutrient or mineral deficiency, toxicity or other possible infection you may have underlying in your body. You need to first 'treat' any C section or episiotomy scar you have with sesame oil from PRLabs and then check your pH to see your mineral status. If that is off then at minimum you need a great mineral source - that you are sure to absorb - and then you can look for underlying issues, if your hair is not clearing up. We do and sell all of those here at our Holisic Wellness Center. Most of our nutritionists are also moms and we do work with many infants and children too, helping them get healthy and well, as well as parents and families.

good luck.

Namaste,
J. Eltman, MPH, RD
Preventive & Therapeutic Holistic Health
www.CreativeNutrition.com
1.877.5.EATWELL
Author: The NO DIET Diet: Healthy Meals in 5 Minutes

Just another thing you can thank the hormones for! It is normal, scary, but normal. I was loosing mine in handfuls, luckily I have really full hair or I think I would be bald right now! LOL Mine started at about three months post partum and just stopped and about 5 and a half months. Everything I read said it is normal and so did my OB. I tried my hubby's Nioxin (hehehe), did not seem to work, but I only did it a couple of times because I was worried about chemicals and I am breast feeding. Well, best of luck to you and congrats. : )

Mine did the same at 4 months pp. It goes away after a couple of months. And the shedding will get less and less. Don't worry at all. Take your multi vitamin (or pre natal) and get plenty of calcium (I drink 3 glasses of milk a day, or take pills). Also, I started only brushing my hair when dry. I lost so much less hair after that.

This happened to me with both, but noticeably more with my second. I was told by my hairdresser that when you are pregnant your hair is in the constant growing cycle. That is why your hair gets thicker and the nails get stronger and grow longer. But after the baby is born, the constant growing cycle stops and the hair starts to shed. You lose a lot of that extra hair that grew while you were pregnant, plus the normal amount that everyone loses regularly. And depending on what kind of birth you had, like if you had some kind of anesthesia, that has an affect on the hair, making it more brittle and causing it to fall out. But in either case, it should return to normal about a year after if you keep yourself healthy. Hope this information helps!

Hi W.! I am 7 months postpartum and only within this past month has my "hair shedding" slowed down. I started losing lots and lots of hair (very noticable in the shower) at maybe about 2 months postpartum. And dont worry, mine was a ridiculous amount too. That was also very normal though. I read in a few books that when you're pregnant, your body for some reason (the book explains the details) keeps all the hair you'd normally lose on a regular basis. After you give birth the hormones slowly disappear. So then all the hair that you retained during pregnancy, comes falling out. They say you usually lose about 100 hairs a day, so after pregnancy thats alot of hair!! It should be ok, but if you are still worried you could always call your doctor. Hope this helps :o)

You probably should see a doctor. Sometimes pregnancy and not the first pregnancy can bring on thyroid disease and a symptom of it is hair loss. It's probably nothing but it's worth getting checked out.

W.,
I too had hair loss issues after each child, all four of them to be exact. When my children turned about 3 months old is when the hair loss started. It was mostly in my widows peak and in the normal receeding hairline of men is. It went on for a couple of months, I simply chose to comb my hair over the spots the best I could. Adventually, it begins to grow back.

You can certainly have your thyroid checked, I've been told your thyroid and the change of hormone levels after babies can affect hair loss.

My hair is much thinner now than ever, probably from both having kids and genetics.

WOW, when I read your post I felt like I was reading my story. I am 3 1/2 months postpartum and also have a little prince (born on March 3) who has a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate. My hair falls out by the handfull and others have noticed the thinning. I know that the hormone changes along with the added stress of dealing with a baby with specific needs can take a toll on us. I really hope the hair loss stops soon or I will literally be bald soon. Mine is naturally curly, but super fuzzy now a days. I wish you the best as we both seem to be going down the same path in life around the same time. Feel free to contact me any time. I love to talk about my little guy as I am sure you do too. :)

J.
____@____.com
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PS: They have a yahoo group for parents of cleft kiddos and the things we will encounter along the way. ____@____.com

It is normal to lose hair after pregnancy. But it should stop after a few months or so.

But if it is getting brittle and you don't feel normal, could be your thyroid is a little out of whack.

I would have your OB run your TSH, T3 and T4 levels. The "normal" medical range is from .5 to 5. I was at 1.75 and I couldn't crawl out of bed to save my life. For me being at 3 is healthy and normal.

I know many women with kids whose Thyroid gets out of whack from lack of sleep, stress, etc. Especially post partem.

You know your body best, so if you feel the need to be seen, go in and get it checked out.

Good Luck!

You're fine!! It's just your wacked out hormones trying to come back to normal!! Keep taking your vitamins and things will turn around soon. It happens to all of us:)

W.,

My hair did the same thing after my second baby. My sis-in-law is a beautician and said it was a little from stress but a lot from the hormones. My second was a boy and because of the testosterone it was wreaking havoc on my body! Did you notice hair on your chin or things like that?

I have dyed my hair so I have always had hair falling out, being reconditioned, etc. I would definitely talk to your doctor or your hair stylist if they have any ideas.

Hope this helps!

W.,
After I had my daughter I for quite a few months after experienced an extreme increase in hair loss. I could literally run my fingers through my hair and I would have hair come out. I talked to my doctor as well as other women who have been mothers and they said it is usually normal to have this. Your hormones are going to take a while to return to normal levels and hair loss is a normal symptom due to decreased levels of estrogen, when compared to pregnancy. Estrogen actually increases the length of the growth period for hair, which is why when you are pregnant you often have nice full locks. But when estrogen levels fall post-partum most women experience hair loss. On average my doctor said it could take anywhere from 6 months to a year for my hair growth and loss to go back to prepregnancy states. Not much can be done about it, and I just pull my hair back anyways cause if I am not losing my hair due to my hormones my daughter will aid in the hair loss with her grabby little fingers. Hope this helps!

I am in the same situation. (curly hair too). I had my son 6 months ago and I am still losing more hair than normal. However, the hair loss has slowed down a bit. I asked my hairdresser and she said it's a normal thing to lose your hair. It will grow back in soon. You might not notice the regrowth until you get the little hairs along your hairline, but it will grow back. I know this isn't really advice of what to do. But I hope it helps to know you're not the only one. Good luck!

I too lost patches of hair after having my little girl. They were right in the front of my head. I had two bald spots to the left and right of my forehead. My doctor told me it was the horomones that were exiting my body and changing me that was making me lose my hair. Especially since I did not lose any hair at all when I was pregnant. As far as I know and from what my doctor told me, this is completely normal!!!

I do not have personal experience with this but a girl I worked with had the same thing happen and eventually her hair all grew back in fine, sorry but you may just have to wait out the hormones

Hi W. -

Have you looked into having your thyroid checked?
When my thyroid went out, I was losing hair, got brittle and frizzy - a little like bozo the clown. Not a lovely picture, I know....

Healing to you!
S.

This is totally normal. I am 6 mos. postpartum with my second son and it happened with both boys right around 3-4 mos. My hair-dresser assured me that it's totally normal. It has to do with hormones- during pregnancy you actually shed much less than normal and once you are 3-4 mos. postpartum, it starts to shed it all out. I read about why it happens online- I think there was an article on Babycenter. Anyway, it should only last a little while and for most women, it does grow back. Hope this helps you rest a little easier!

It happens because the pregnancy hormones have left. you may notice it more in the front. It will take a while but it will all come back. I cut my hair short and let it grow out together. You may not have noticed, but your hair was thicker during the pregnancy . Enjoy your precious ones. you're normal.

It is normal to loose your hair. It is mostly related to the hormonal changes going on with your body. One way to help it is to keep taking your prenatal vitamins....
Hope this helps

I had this happen with all three of my little ones. THe doctor told me to keep taking my prenatals because it was a hormone change.

Hi...I'm 6 months postpartum and going through the same thing. It's the hormones. My hair texture has also changed. This is normal. If you look, you'll see little baby hairs growing back in place. My hairdresser says it will take about 6 months to go back to normal. Hang in there...pregnancy isn't over once you have the baby.

Losing hair after pregnancy is normal because you don't lose any when you're pregnant. However, if it's large amounts, I'd ask your doctor to check your thyroid just to be on the safe side. Good luck!

Hair loss is normal postpartum. I lost quite a bit after each pregnancy and had funny bangs for a while as it grew back. It does grow back though!

My son is getting closer to 17 months old and my hair is still trying to grow back. It is normal to lose your hair afterwards, unfortunately. I have pretty thin hair, so I had pretty obvious bald spots and couldn't wear my hair pulled back for a long time. Now I have these terrible short wing things that like to curl up in weird fashions if I don't blow dry my hair, and sometimes even if I do. I don't know for sure if my hair loss was related or not or just a coincidence, but right after I started a mild birth control pill that I could take while nursing is when I started losing my hair. It did say it was a possible side effect of the pill. After a month or two when the thinning hair actually became bald spots, I decided to stop taking the pill, just in case, even though my OB told me it was unrelated. Within a couple of weeks of stopping the pill, the bald spots had new growth and I stopped losing hair (aside from the normal amount).

W.,
Please don't worry. I have a 2 year old & went through the same thing after I had her. I felt like my hair was coming out in bunches!
Eventually it will stop - I promise!
Best wishes.
A.

Clearly, your nutritional requirements are higher than your body can support. This happened to me as well. I was nursing. They say that nursing moms require twice the normal energy requirements, even more than being pregnant. Even though I was taking pre-natal vitamins while nursing, my hair was still falling out; that didn't prevent it from happening. That tells me that I still wasn't getting enough of what my body needed. I'm positive now that my hair falling out was the only outward sign I had of the insufficient nutrition. I feel other things must have been going on as a sacrifice. I even made eating healthy choices at that time, knowing that I was also feeding my baby. I have since learned, the farming practices today do not support high value of nutrition. For example, US government studies show the value of an apple of the 70's would require 7-10 apples to be the nutritional equivalent today. I have now learned how to achieve a high level of nutrition and feel the best I've ever felt in the past 10 years. Now, because of my transformation in health and wellness (also weight loss as a side effect), I have left my successful career as a web developer a year ago and have moved into the field of wellness coaching. I've coached literally hundreds of people and am a regular supplier of products and services to three local doctors, two of them highly respected family practitioners. I'm very good at what I do. Call me if you're interested in learning more.

D. Klein ###-###-####

Good morning W.,

I have a 6 month old baby and I have been experiencing the same thing. I shed all the time. According to my mother, it's normal. She is no doctor but says during the pregnancy you dont lose much hair and after you will lose alot.

You will be back to normal soon.

E.

Please go your doctor and have some blood work done ASAP. You could have a thyroid problem and not know it. Good luck. Patti

I lost a ton of hair after I gave birth to my baby boy. I lost big patches near my hairline and my hairdresser recently noticed that new hair was even growing in underneath too. It started to grow back probably around 6-7 months postpartum. My son is almost a year and it continues to grow back slowly but surely. I don't think it's anything to worry about. I understand that it's related to hormones and there isn't anything you can do about it. Like everything else with pregnancy and childbirth, some women experience it, other's don't. But, I guess it never hurts to confirm that with your doctor. Don't worry though--you won't be bald forever!

Go talk to your doctor, by all means.

Supposedly it is totally normal. Happened to me...I thought I was losing my hair! It would come out in handfuls in the shower. It gets better once the hormones level out.

my hair started thinning when i was about three months postpartum and he is now five months and it is still falling out really bad the front of my hair you can almost see the scalp but i started using nioxin sampoo and really seems to be helping it seems to be getting alot thicker i know they have all diffrent kinds maybe try that and see if it helps

Hi W.,

I went through the same thing with my first but not my second. My hair dresser recomended a vitamin called Biotin. It is supposed to help with hair and nail growth. It seemed to help. You can get it at GNC or any other store that has vitamins. I also would make sure you are getting all your required vitamins too. It's easy to stop taking care of ourselves when our lives get busy.

Hi W.,
You are exactly in my state of being.. i am in my 4th month of postpartum and am losing my hair at a very fast rate . i had very thick staight hair and its very disturbing to lose those locks.. i didnt experience this when my first baby was born, but after my second child my hair have been changed a lot in texture and volume.. this is all common n happens cause of hormonal changes and breastfeeding (if thts so in yr case).. i guess all we have to do is eat a lot of protein rich diet and do not stress out coz that matters too.. n enjoy being into motherhood..

cheers.
-S..

I remember this happening to me and, yes, it went on for a few weeks or months. Perhaps you should go to the health food
store and see if they have "hair supplements" that you could add to your daily vitamin routine. Try finding someone knowledgeable to talk to about your choices. I think even Trader Joe's has or had a hair and nails supplement. Also, reading your "about me" where you mention your little one's minor (but still a worry) surgery, perhaps the added stress of his ordeal is why you are losing hair this time and not last time. AND remember that you are now a mommy of two so that is more on your plate anyway. Also, are you still taking your pre-natal vitamins?

If you are concerned, I would say research online before going to the doctor (unless there are other symptoms along with the hair loss). Perhaps you'll just have to wait it out but I would say adding some dietary supplements and perhaps some relaxation exercises and scalp massage couldn't hurt. Good luck! L.

In my case this problem got worse with each baby. I have 3 a 10, 7, and my baby is 14 months this time is the worst by far. When I wash and brush my hair it is horrible, the amount that comes out floors me. After my second baby I think it lasted about a year, this time it hasn't stopped I am going to try the Nioxin shampoo and conditioner. I had super thick curly hair and at first it did not bother me but I am seeing my hair thinning in the front now (never this bad before). So good luck try shampoo, let me know if you find something that works. Good luck and God Bless. H.

Hi W.,
I'm six months postpartum and loosing handfuls of hair throughout the day. My hair dresser said not to worry about it, it's the hormones leveling out in your body. Supposedly you hold onto your hair when your pregnant and then it falls out after. If your hair seems to really be thinning you should probably talk to your doctor.
Best wishes,
S.

This is normal. It happened to me and a couple of my friends. In our child birth class they said this would happen especially if you breast feed.