Hair loss and breastfeeding- related?

[DetentionGrrrl]

My hair is falling out a lot more than usual, there aren't any bald patches (thank god...yet!) but i keep finding a lot of hair on my pillow and on my hand if i run it through my hair. Could it be anything to do with hormones? Son is 14wks and i b/feed him. Someone suggested it might be that. Any ideas?

It's not the breastfeeding. It's the hair you didn't lose in pregnancy - that's why you get such thick glossy hair in pregnancy, because it doesn't fall out - coming out at last. You might have a thyroid problem, but it's almost certainly the hairloss that happens to everyone.

Ah, cool. Glad it's not 10 years of colouring my hair catching up with me then! I assume it's going to stop soon? Son is 14wks now!

Hmm, I'm not sure - I have to say I lost absolutely masses with DD1 (I have very thick hair and long hair as well at the time).

With DD2 I cunningly managed to go to the hairdresser about three hours before going into labour and had quite a short chop, so I don't remember quite the same shower-clogging effect that time round.

My hairdresser has been baffled after both pregnancies because I haven't had excessive hairloss, so I am clearly not the norm.

Definitely not the breastfeeding, I formula fed my ds and still lost masses of hair! It's just the way it goes.

I lost way more hair than usual for about 18 months after ds was born. I think 6 months is about average, though.

Breastfeeding suppresses oestrogen production - my GP told me breastfeeding put you into a sort of pseudo-menopause (hence hot flushes possible too) and women lose a certain amount of hair during perimenopause, when oestrogen levels drop. So...maybe it could have a bit to do with it??

Who knows; I was weird and lost more during pregnancy than after, but I think losing hair post partum is pretty common.