Picture this: You're the proud mama of a new baby and adjusting to life with your new bundle of joy, when all of a sudden it seems like you're losing your hair. You're shedding like crazy, and sometimes your hair is even coming out in clumps. What the?!

The cause of your hair loss, also known as Telogen Effluvium, actually started at the beginning of your pregnancy, when you probably began to have months of amazing hair! During pregnancy, the uptick in hormones cause your body to hold onto the strands that would usually fall out on a daily basis, giving you that extra hair for those beautiful, thick, locks. As with most good things, this does come to an end, and about three months after pregnancy, that extra hair will start to fall out, and not just little by little, but en masse.

There isn’t much you can do to prevent this from happening, but if you can do a few things to help.  First, make sure you take your prenatal vitamins and eat a healthy diet. Second, treat your hair with extra gentle care by staying away from the heat of the blow dryer and straightening iron. Use a good quality conditioner and comb to reduce the possibility of tangles. Some moms also will opt for a shorter hair cut, which can be easier to manage and help reduce the clumps of hair falling out.  

While hair loss after pregnancy can be normal, you do want to be aware that it can also be a sign of a health condition, such as anemia or postpartum thyroiditis. If you are seeing other symptoms, such as fatigue, depression, weight loss or gain, dry skin, insomnia, changes in appetite, or racing heart, be sure to mention it to your doctor so they can make sure that the hair loss isn’t a sign of a bigger issue.