Hair loss whilst breastfeeding

[flyingchick1]

Hi there, anybody any experience of this?

I have been ebf my dd who is now 16 weeks old. For the past 3 weeks I've noticed that I am regularly losing clumps of hair. I have been under quite a bit of stress recently (dd born at 32 weeks and poorly initially, family troubles etc) but Im sure that I remember reading somewhere that this can also be caused by hormonal changes whilst bf.

Did this happen to anybody else and did your hair stop falling out when you stopped bf???

Any advice much appreciated

This has happened to me too OP! Although it's most noticeable with my underarm hair- it's gone completely. Very strange. I read somewhere that it's not actually hair loss- it's just that when you're pregnant, hair falls out less therefore now pregnancy is over, the "extra" hair is coming out all and once so it seems like excessive hair loss.
However, I don't think that can be right as I definitely used to have underarm hair! So my answer is that I don't know if it stops but will be interested to hear replies.

The hairloss isn't related to breastfeeding, it is a result of hormonal changes post natally. Most women experience this. You may have noticed your hair was probably thicker during pregnancy, because the pregnancy hormones slow the usual rate of hair loss. It will eventually resolve itself in the weeks or months to come. It's just your body getting used to not being pregnant anymore. Baby's birth hair may start falling out too to be replaced by thicker hair, as they are also experiencing the fall in maternal hormones.

This happened to me with both DDs, both times at around 4mths, so not just you, don't worry! I exclusively bf from birth both times. I stopped with DD1 at 13mths and can't remember any further hair loss when I stopped. I'm still feeding DD2 now (10mths)

My hair started to grow back around 4 or so months later (so 8mths post-birth) and it's got to that sticky-up annoying stage now. I got my hair cut into a bob which made it look thicker and has helped to disguise the really short bits of regrowth.

It was a shock when it happened with DD1, and although I was expecting it this time, it was still horrible to see my hair coming out, almost in handfuls.

Found another useful thread about this here www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/934947-armpit-hair-not-growing-post-baby/AllOnOnePage

Happening here too at 15 weeks post partum. I have a foul moment having to hoik hair out the plug hole every morning! I'll miss my luscious pregnancy locks...

Me too. DS is 17 weeks and we've both been losing hair..! dS was born with lots of dark hair and it's sad seeing it go... The new fuzz is growing underneath though. Mine is just falling out ....! How long does it take to shed?