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Original poster

post childbirth hair shedding - aaarghh

12 replies

mummee09v · 30/09/2009 10:42

hiya, new to this board but kind of worried so hoping someone could please give me some advice...?

OK my DD is 4 months old and for the last month or so my hair has been shedding like MAD. i know its normal after childbirth (something to do with you don't shed hair while pregnant but then lose the extra hair afterwards) i have a 3 YO as well and remember it happening after he was born too but i am sure it didn't go on this long???
has anyone else had this and if so how long did it go on for?

does anyone know roughly how long it can go on for, and is there anything i can do to reduce it / slow it down, ie supplements, products, vitamins etc? i am also dieting BTW - dunno if that is not helping matters? (although not starving myself just calorie counting)

thank u!! xx

OP posts:

nigglewiggle · 30/09/2009 10:49

I had this both times and like you it was a shock the first time, but not noticeable to anyone else. The second time it was far worse and I actually had a receding hairline at my temples. I saw my GP and she didn't just dismiss it, she was very helpful. I had blood tests and was borderline anaemic and it was also thought that other medication I had been taking for post-delivery complications was also causing hair loss.

I was prescribed iron tablets and it stopped coming out at about 8 months post-delivery (mine had started coming out at about 4 months). By the time DD2 was 12 months old it was growing back nicely and not noticable. All my tufts have now grown out!

Go and see your GP to check that there aren't any other factors making the normal post-baby hairloss worse.

LeonieSoSleepy · 30/09/2009 10:55

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iwouldgoouttonight · 30/09/2009 10:58

I had this, and it seemed worse the second time with DD than it did three years ago with DS (although maybe I blanked it from memory!). Seemed to get worse around four months, and DD is now 8 months and the hairloss is definitely less. And I've noticed lots of little baby hairs growing back around my hairline. It still comes out when I brush it, but its no longer falling out constantly!

I was also very anaemic so I don't know if that makes it any worse?

Original poster

mummee09v · 30/09/2009 12:18

glad it grew back for most of you! leonie - that must have been awful for you did yours grow back? hope so xx

yes i think i have heard that lack or iron can cause hairloss, plus i had c/sections both times so obv lost a lot of blood. so might try iron tablets n if they don't work i'll go docs if it doesn't slow down soon.

can anyone recommend any good iron supplements??

OP posts:

LeonieSoSleepy · 30/09/2009 20:11

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mummygogo · 30/09/2009 20:53

mine stopped at around 7 months, prior to that I felt like it was falling out so quickly I thought I'd wake up with no hair at all.

Original poster

mummee09v · 01/10/2009 11:17

glad yours grew back leonie. xx

mummygogo - REALLY hope mine stops by 7 months coz if it doesn't i dunno how i will have any hair left!!!! lol.

am gonna buy some iron tablets today, see if they do anything. also i have heard sea kelp is good for your hair?? anyone else heard that??

OP posts:

cyteen · 01/10/2009 11:24

I posted a similar thread at about 6 months post-partum, pleading for reassurance that I wasn't going bald

It did calm down by about 8 months and my hair is its usual messy self now. Some good advice I got at the time was to get my thyroid checked as an imbalance can cause hair loss.

LeonieSoSleepy · 01/10/2009 19:50

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EsmeWeatherwax · 01/10/2009 19:57

I am 5 months post partum and my hair is coming out by the bucketload, it's everywhere! When it happened after dd1 I had to have a fringe cut into my very long hair to cover the regrowth. It stopped for me after a few months first time, hopefully will again! I had c-sections too, and have also been quite anaemic both times.

Original poster

mummee09v · 02/10/2009 10:56

esme - does yours come out more when you wash it? thats when mine comes out loads.
bought some iron tablets yesterday from holland and barrett, saw some tablets in there as well which are meant to be good for your hair, they were just called "hair skin and nails formula", didn't buy them coz was a bit sceptical!
but does anyone think they might be worth trying??

OP posts:

JaMmRocks · 02/10/2009 11:04

I had this with DS1 and am expecting it to happen again any day now, tbh. I didn't know about the link to anaemia, which I do have currently. I'm taking one iron tablet a day, as any more than that makes for a really bad stomach with me (prescribed by dr) To make up the iron I use two sachets of Spatone water a day - it's really good stuff - and try to get an iron rich diet.

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