Like all other moms, I counted down the days until my son was born. Not just because I was excited to meet my little guy, but I could finally look forward to feeling normal again and kiss the aches and pains of pregnancy goodbye. Little did I know that the consequences of having the surplus of hormones during pregnancy suddenly disappear after birth would only bring on a new set of problems.

HAIR LOSS AFTER BIRTH

It started out with my husband complaining that my hair was clogging up the shower drain more often. I put this down as me losing my summer curls, not having much time to worry about how enjoyable his showers were while I was on the bed fighting with my new-born to breastfeed. Eventually it got to the point where I was sweeping up mounds of hair from my bedroom floor after brushing or drying my hair every morning. This is when I started panicking. So, I did what any normal person would do and called on Doctor Google. I know this is usually terrible advice and leaves one convinced they have some form of rare and dreaded disease, but for once it actually left me hopeful.

I found many, many other moms out there who were all going through the same thing – they all started losing copious amounts of hair in the first few months after giving birth. What it boils down to is pretty simple: hormones.

CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS AFTER PREGNANCY

Outside of pregnancy, our hair grows at different rates. 85-95 percent of your hair will be growing while the left over 5-15 percent is in resting stage. Your hair falls out during resting stage. During pregnancy the growing stage of our hair is extended due to an increase in estrogen, which is why we experience minimal hair loss and have thick and fabulous locks. Once our baby is born and this extra dose of estrogen disappears, our rate of growth goes back to normal and we are left with a lot more hair in the resting stage – hence the increased hair loss.

HOW TO PREVENT HAIR LOSS AFTER BIRTH

There really isn’t anything you can do to prevent this. Some moms say that taking extra vitamins helped them, while others get fed up and chop off their hair for a new ‘mom-cut’. As frustrating as this might be, it is only temporary. Your hair should return back to normal by your baby’s first birthday.

I carried on with my postnatal vitamins and went for regular haircuts and pretty much just waited it out (and promised to not clog up the shower drain each day). Keeping up with vitamins B, C, E and Zinc can only do your body good and some moms say this actually helped reduce the hair loss.

DEALING WITH POST PREGNANCY HAIR LOSS

It can be really stressful having to deal with something like this while you are getting used to motherhood, but remember you are not alone. Look to other moms for guidance and support when you feel a little hopeless and remember your body will always bounce back – it just takes a little bit of time.