However, there’s one symptom that can creep up on many new mums: hair loss. Yes, the same hair that during your pregnancy was lush and shiny is now collecting in your hairbrush like never before.
It’s something fashion entrepreneur and Chronicles of Nadia blogger Nadia Bartel, who gave birth to gorgeous baby boy Aston James in November last year, can attest to.
Recently she shared a picture of her fresh honey blonde hair on Instagram with a caption that included “losing all my hair from feeding”.
While it certainly doesn’t look like it (she’s still got about three times more hair on that glorious head than I do…) Bartel isn’t alone.
According to trichologist Anthony Pearce of Hair Loss Clinic, it’s something many women can experience after birthing their bundle of joy.
“When everything’s good within their body during pregnancy women don’t lose their hair, they’ve never had better hair. That’s because their major female hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are at their highest,” explains Pearce.
Speaking to Mamamia, Bartel explains she noticed a change in her hair several months after giving birth.
“Two months ago (when Aston was about four months old) I noticed lots of my hair falling out in clumps and my hair is much finer and patchy around my hairline,” she explained.
“I had been warned by my girlfriends that are mums and my hairdresser that this can happen. I didn’t believe it was a real thing until it happened to me.”
Watch: The pregnancy questions you were too afraid to ask. (Post continues after video.)
Pearce says it’s a “self-correcting condition”, as long as your levels of iron, iodine vitamin D and zinc are all where they should be to reset the phase of the hair.
“Around the two month mark post-birth, telogen effluvium occurs – it’s a fancy way of saying very excessive hair loss in a falling phase. Things start to return to a non-pregnancy level and it’s this falling away of her hormones, and also the readjustment down of the growing phase of the hair.”
For women who are affected, this can vary from 10 per cent to 60 per cent of the hair.
Understandably, it can be quite distressing, particularly in the more extreme cases. If your hair loss is worrying you, it’s best to book an appointment with a doctor or trichologist who will look into it for you.
“I do testing to see your levels, then supplement you back to where you need to be. Then I give women a natural nutrient therapy leave-on spray that won’t come out in their breast milk,” Pearce explains. (Post continues after gallery)
Nadia Bartel on Instagram
“If it’s really bad, I get them to do a little bit of laser therapy, six to 12 sessions. What that does is it dramatically slows down the hair loss.”
Bartel’s hair go-tos right now?
“I am a big fan of dry shampoo; it is my saviour being a new mum. I love Sebastian Drynamic ($28.90) also when my hair isn’t dirty, as it works to give my hair some volume around my hairline, which is where I am losing lots of hair and this brand doesn’t leave my hair with white marks,” she says.
“I also use Kevin Murphy’s Powder Puff ($38.95) as it gives my hair some more grit and makes it look thicker.”
Did you experience hair loss after having a child?
Image: Instagram @nadiabartel.
Top Comments
Yes I did, and it actually led me to my diagnosis of Lupus SLE. Any other symptoms beside the hair loss - such as extreme fatigue (which I put down to having a new baby), muscle ache and body feeling like it was being dragged down by lead?
I see your post pregnancy issues and raise you gallstones requiring removal of gallbladder. All the Doctors and Nurses tell me it's quite common about 3 to 4 months post birth (my boy is about to be 4 months).