Could breastfeeding be making my hair fall out?

**charleygirl** · 17-02-2010 12:11

Hi everyone,im fully breastfeeding a four month old girl and in the last month ive started losing alot of hair,i lose huge handfulls of it every day and its now thinned considerably

.I dont remember this happening with my first.This baby is a real big fatty though! Has anyone else had the same thing happen or does anyone know what supplements i could take to help? Any advice appreciated!

**Tam-I-Am** · 17-02-2010 12:17

It's really common in the post-partum period (regardless of breastfeeding or bottlefeeding). You actually don't lose any hair while you're pregnant, and all the hair that you were SUPPOSED to lose during that time frame falls out in the 6 months post-partum. Sometimes women don't notice it, sometimes it's really significant. There's nothing you can do about it except wait for it to stop, although you might like to get your thyroid tested as sometimes hair loss can be as a result of a poorly functioning thyroid, and thyroid problems are common in the post-natal period too.

**bambino** · 17-02-2010 12:20

3 years later and I'm still loosing my hair !

As Tam said, it doesn't matter if you are BF or not, it will still happen.

**lambjam** · 17-02-2010 12:22

, with DS2 (who was FF) I lost handfuls of hair in the weeks after his birth, now with DS3 (who is BF) I've just started to lose hair in the last couple of weeks (from about 12 weeks after the birth).

**dreamtobeamummy** · 17-02-2010 12:25

I agree with the other girls but also get your Thyroid checked.

My sister was loosing clumps of hair every day and it appeared she had Thyroid problems. Better to be safe then sorry and if you require any medication etc for Thyroid to do it now rather then later.

**kuddles** · 17-02-2010 12:26

Originally Posted by Tam-I-Am

There's nothing you can do about it except wait for it to stop, although you might like to get your thyroid tested as sometimes hair loss can be as a result of a poorly functioning thyroid, and thyroid problems are common in the post-natal period too.

I was going to suggest that you get your thyroid checked.

**moozle** · 17-02-2010 12:27

Totally normal. That happened to me too when DS was 4 months. It totally freaked me out because it seemed like A LOT of hair... handfulls and I didn't know if I'd have any left if it kept coming out like that! It stopped after about a month and new hair started to grow back.. now I have tufts that are about 2 1/2 inches long that give me a halo effect when I tie my hair back

AM · 17-02-2010 13:23

Yep, totally normal. I get it every time. Interesting about the thyroid thing... I never knew that!

**bambino** · 17-02-2010 14:18

Sorry to crash in......does a Dr test for thyroid or is there something I can get from the chemist ?

I never knew about the thyroid bit. After 3 years of hair loss, maybe this is what I need to be checked out ??