Anyone else going bald while BFing

[MandaMommy2]

I've been EBFing my little one who just turned 5 months and I'm beginning to think soon she'll have more hair than me. I also have a non-functioning thyroid and take levothyroxine daily. My last labs showed that I was over medicated so my dose has been reduced and I am due for blood work soon. I've also lost 40 lbs since having the baby and I take metformin daily for an insulin sensitivity due to PCOS. I struggled with thinning hair on my temples for years from being hypothyroid for so long, but now it's so bad that there's hair all over my house and I have bald spots. I'm going to a dermatologist that specializes in hair loss next week. I saw another doctor at the practice and she though maybe breastfeeding was making my pp hair shedding wore. I plan on BFing for two years. Am I going to have to save money for a wig? My husband is taking me for a haircut tomorrow. I'm hoping that a rounded bob will make me look a little more attractive. I'm just getting really depressed about my hair loss, but on the upside I'm doing better with my supply issues now that I have increased my calories and protein intake. I'm on a very limited diet anyway due to LO's food allergies so I couldn't eat junk if I wanted to so I figure when she's a little bigger and on solids I'll try to lose weight again a d exercise more. I just want to have hair again

[5littlesweeties]

I always loose a lot of hair after baby. Usually 5 months is right at the peak and by 9/10 months I see a lot of regrowth. I don't really think it is breast feeding related though, my ds is almost 18 months and still nursing and the hair loss has stopped. I think it's just how my body adjusts to pregnancy/childbirth and it has happened all 6 times. Sorry, I know how stressful it can be!

[MandaMommy2]

Originally Posted by 5littlesweeties I always loose a lot of hair after baby. Usually 5 months is right at the peak and by 9/10 months I see a lot of regrowth. I don't really think it is breast feeding related though, my ds is almost 18 months and still nursing and the hair loss has stopped. I think it's just how my body adjusts to pregnancy/childbirth and it has happened all 6 times. Sorry, I know how stressful it can be!

I would like it if my hair hair magically started growing back at 9/10 months to. We're not trying for anymore more babies until we can buy a house so hopefully after my body bounces back from this last pregnancy I'll get nice and hairy lol.

[daniela_d]

I feel like im balding too and my hair is thinning out a lot since ive been breastfeeding and it doesnt help that my mom has really thin hair too! genes??

[MandaMommy2]

Originally Posted by daniela_d I feel like im balding too and my hair is thinning out a lot since ive been breastfeeding and it doesnt help that my mom has really thin hair too! genes??

My mom doesn't having thinning hair, but my dad does. He doesn't have traditional male pattern baldness. When he was about 20 his hair just started thinning all over except for the nape of his neck, just like me. The doctor said genes defiantly play a role. More so if your mother has thin hair though. I think I'm a freak of nature.

[1healthylady]

I'm sorry you're dealing with so much hair loss. My boss and I were just talking about this the other day. At 5 months she said she lost a ton of hair, and she had stopped BFing by 2 months. I'm losing a ton of hair right now (5 mos PP), but I'm also BFing. I think it's just hormones regulating themselves and has nothing to do with BFing. It took 9 months to make a baby, it'll take a while to get everything back to normal again.

[songbird516]

Are you getting enough omega-3s? Chia seeds, fermented cod liver oil, wild salmon..are all good sources. Also, if you haven't already, cut out unfermented soy pronto. It absolutely kills the thyroid and affects your hormonal balance. Vegetable oils also have way too many omega-6 fat to omega-3s, so should be avoided also.

Hair falling out isn't normal, imo. I would definitely take a look at my diet and see what could be improved or adjusted to make sure that I was getting enough nourishment for me and the baby (via milk).

[MandaMommy2]

Originally Posted by songbird516 Are you getting enough omega-3s? Chia seeds, fermented cod liver oil, wild salmon..are all good sources. Also, if you haven't already, cut out unfermented soy pronto. It absolutely kills the thyroid and affects your hormonal balance. Vegetable oils also have way too many omega-6 fat to omega-3s, so should be avoided also. Hair falling out isn't normal, imo. I would definitely take a look at my diet and see what could be improved or adjusted to make sure that I was getting enough nourishment for me and the baby (via milk).

I haven't tried chia seeds, but I put flaxseeds in my oatmeal every morning. Is olive oil okay? The only


other oil I use is canola and I only use it for baking every once and a while. I actually had some baked salmon with quinoa and carrots for lunch today. I knew that soy was bad for my thyroid function so I've avoided it for years, but now with the babies allergies I have to be even more careful. I don't think hair falling out to the point where I have bald spots the size of a nickle is normal either. My grandmother told me about some sort of camoflauge product she used on her scalp when she was going through chemo that I want to get. The bare skin is very depressing. Maybe I could get a scarf to cover my hair. I've been wearing bandanas at home, but I don't like looking so frumpy all the time when I go out.

The baby seems to be doing well weight wise. She recently stopped sleeping through the night, but I think that she's just going through a growth spurt because she's having a lot of wet and poopy diapers. We have an appointment for my son at the doctor tomorrow so I'll pop her on the scale just for peace of mind. I'm also going to ask if it's safe for me to take biotin.

I was still taking my prenatal vitamins, but it has soy in it so I switched to a multivitamin that is dairy and soy free. Hopefully my hair has reached it peak for falling out and by the time the baby is a year old my bald spots will be gone. The dermologist that I saw last month was worried and gave me a prescription to use for two weeks to help with the itching and scabbing. It's helping a little bit. I never went to get my hair cut today, but that's okay. I have a lot of work to do around the house and we got dumped on with a lot of snow so I' d rather stay home and snuggle the baby than dig out my car and be cold

[l_Kimmie_l]

I am 10 mos PP and BFing and my hair is totally coming out in clumps. I used to have super thick hair and it is much thinner now. It is crazy how much I have lost. I too have hypothyroid and PCOS. I am on the same meds.

[Dory]

Hair loss postpartum is due to the fact that you don't she'd like normal while pregnant. As your hormones regulate, that extra starts to come out. With your thyroid issues though, I can understand being concerned, and I think seeing someone about it to make sure everything is alright is totally understandable.