hair loss and headaches at 5 months post-partum

[SariRae]

Hi,

My second DS is 5 months now and I am losing some hair as I remember I did when my first DS was about the same age. Why again does this happen...hormones, I'm sure, but I'm also wondering if headaches might go along with it. In addition, I feel like I'm not making enough milk....the last few days in the evening I've run dry. Any connection? I have been drinking lots of water and nursing tea(with fenugreek and fennel), so I don't think I'm dehydrated.

[JessicaS]

Your baby might be going through a growth spurt so maybe they are drinking more. Do you notice them working on anything new?

About how many glasses of water are you getting?

[paulamc]

Regarding the hair, as I understand it you don't lose your hair during pregnancy, whereas normally you lose hair. Then a few months after the birth you begin to lose your hair as usual again, PLUS you lose all the hair you would have lost had you not been pregnant. I'm convince there is overcompensation and you lose MORE hair than all that. In my case my hair got really thin but at maybe 10 or 11 months I noticed I was getting a lot of new hair growth. I've still got it - it's not yet as long as the rest of my hair, but it's coming in, thank goodness. I believe it is a hormonal change that triggers the hair loss, so I suppose there could be a headache connection, but I never suffered any headaches when it happened.

[SariRae]

Originally Posted by abimommy

Your baby might be going through a growth spurt so maybe they are drinking more. Do you notice them working on anything new?

About how many glasses of water are you getting?

I've been drinking about 5-6 pint glasses of water a day, so that's about 80+ oz./day. Is that enough? Maybe I'm not spreading it out enough during the day? It could be a growth spurt....he's working on scooting around on his tummy. How long will it take for my milk supply to increase? It seems like he nurses maybe 5 minutes a side in the evening and my milk is gone!

[PatioGardener]

The feeling that your milk is 'gone' in the evenings at 4-5 months is really common - and occurs in cultures all over the world. It (sadly) often leads to early weaning. In most women it is not gone at all - they have plently of milk.

Babies' nursing habits often change at 4-5 months. They cluster feed in the evenings. They pop on and off and complain at the breast. Mom's breasts don't feel full anymore. Mom often doesn't feel letdown anymore.

BUT Mom almost always has enough milk. If baby is peeing well (4-5 heavy wet diapers in 24 hours) and growing well (4-5 oz a week), then baby is getting enough milk.

Just keep putting him back to the breast, and hopefully this phase will pass soon

More info about how to know if baby is getting enough milk here: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/supply/enoughmilk-older.html

[Blueone]

You might have low thyroid levels. That can cause hair loss. But hormones also do as well. After I had my son around the time my hair started going back to it's naturally thin state I started getting migraines a lot. Maybe go see a doctor and talk wit them about it. If you want your thyroid checked make sure to ask for that too. Stop the Thyroid Madness site is a good site that covers all sorts of issues hypothyroid causes.

[BlackSheepPDX]

Can't speak to the headaches, but my hair came out like crazy at about 4 months. I was pretty BENT about it. It is what the previous poster said, losing the hair you weren't losing while pregnant (and why hair seems thicker DURING pregnancy). Hooray hormones. :P

[MangoMommy]

My DD is nearly 5 mo and I'm having major hair loss too, have for about 5 weeks or so.

[RPS67]

I second the suggestion about your thyroid. While postpartum hair loss is absolutely normal, it could indicate hypothyroidism. Sometimes pregnancy can throw your thyroid out of whack; it happened to me with my 4th child and I ended up on thyroid meds for 2 years. I tried going off of them at that point, felt fine and my tsh levels stayed at a normal level. I didn't have any problems after baby #5, either. Weird, huh?

Are the headaches simple headaches or migraines?

Either way, they could also be a symptom of hypothyroidism OR they could be hormone related.

After my 2nd child was born, I had a migraine for 5 out of every 7 days during the first month. I think this was my hormones re-adjusting, but since then (for the past 16 years!) I've had hormonal migraines. I usually get them around the time of ovulation and the day before AF appears.

If you are having migraines and losing a lot of time to them, please talk to your doctor. There are meds available that will take away a migraine fairly quickly so there's no sense suffering. I've been on Imitrex for the past 9 years and it's been a godsend because I can get rid of a migraine usually within 30 minutes. It's so much better than having to retreat to my bed and lose a day or two!

[Blessed_Mom]

I am 5.5 months PP and have been experiencing hairloss since a month.

More to the headaches - since the last 4 days I have been getting headaches daily. I almost never get headaches (only a few during pregnancy or during heavy work stress days). I was reading somewhere that these are hormonal headaches and sometimes signal the onset of AF's return. I haven't had my period yet since delivery. Am dreading it but can those of us who are experiencing it and are in the same boat - report here if we do? That can confirm or dispel the myth (to an extent).