Hair loss during pregnancy

[Sixpencefaux]

I have heard of hair loss after delivery but has anyone experienced significant hair loss during pregnancy? I am in the third trimester and it it getting scary. Any tips or advice? X

[Puddlelane123]

Yes!! Me too!!! I am in the third trimester and my hair is coming out at an alarming rate and all I read everywhere is how hair isnt supposed to shed in pregnancy?? I have had two previous pregnancies and never lost any hair with them, but did lose masses in the postpartum phase. So I am as interested in answers to this as you are OP!

[SunnySideUp2020]

Mine fell massively in first and beginning of second trimester.
Now in 3rd and finally stopped.
Ask your mw to check iron levels?
I assume you take pregnancy vitamins?

[Puddlelane123]

Actually yes that is a good point about iron levels as mine are on the low side. I’ve also suffered with hyperemesis so I wonder if the hair shedding is a reaction to crap nutrition for so long!

[Pinktruffle]

I had it during my third trimester, I lost a ton of hair. I kept asking my hospital/midwife about it as I suspected that I may be anemic. They insisted I was fine and that my blood test results were normal. Once my baby was born, as I had C-section, they tested me again and said I was anemic. When I went to see thenndiwife a week after I was discharged, she checked my records and said that I had been anemic throughout my third trimester and should have been on 3 iron tablets a day. I was really angry as all that hair loss was unnecessary. Get your iron checked but do push for second opinion or to be retested if you are not happy with the results, I really wish I had. I'm 8 weeks postpartum now and took iron tablets for 6 weeks and the hair loss has slowed down considerably. I'm no longer losing fistfuls of hair.

[Sixpencefaux]

I am anaemic - I am going on one tablet per day. @Pinktruffle do you think it will stop if I get my iron up?

[Chelyanne]

It may be down to a vitamin deficiency. If you can get your levels back up then it should help.
If you do take iron tablets avoid taking them with dairy rich foods as it can hinder the absorption.

[Pinktruffle]

I can only go off my own experience and in my case it did stop it. Anemia is known to cause hair loss due to iron deficiency inhibiting production of Haemoglobin which is needed for hair growth. So if your hair loss is down to anaemia, iron tablets should fix it.