So, I am losing my hair. No easy way to start this post. “Hi, I am Stephanie and my hair is falling out.” I guess it is quite a conversation started and altogether something you never want to admit to or talk about. Thus clearly I am putting it out there on the Internet. You know, I appear to be losing hair.
But I need to keep the ponytail for running photos!
I first noticed something strange this past weekend while I was lying in bed sick as a dog. I was running my fingers through my hair over and over again. I generally don’t do this because I keep my hair curly and anyone who has curly hair knows that you do not touch the curls unless you want to be Ms. Frizzball for the day.
Yay for curls (and ice cream of course)
However, it was late in the day, I had nowhere to go, and felt this weird need to stroke my hair, so I did, and out came strands of hair. I did not think of much it. Maybe I pulled too hard? Maybe just some dead hair? Yet, the next day the same thing happened and when I started looking around I noticed that there was quite a lot of strands of hair that were no longer on my head. Kinda gross, I know, sorry.
To doctor google, I went. I knew that postpartum hair loss was something women went through. But I am 10 months (WOW I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT) postpartum so hair loss at this point seems a little strange. Doctor Google told me that it was possible.
Baby Lee! Remember when you were this small?
Babycenter told me:
Many new moms are surprised to find themselves shedding more hair than usual in the first few months after giving birth, but it’s perfectly normal. And there’s no need to panic: You won’t go bald. In fact, your hair should be back to normal by your baby’s first birthday
The only problem with that is my baby is almost one (AH) and now I am losing hair?!? I contacted my wonderful group of mommies who reassured me that it was totally normal, even this late in the game. I emailed my midwife, who said not to worry but it could mean thyroid problems so to get a blood test (I did, all clear).
There is this other factor though – stress. I know I am quite a sharer on this blog but something I have not fully shared with you all is the amount of stress I am under these days for various reasons. Don’t worry that post is coming along with ways to handle stress. When I went to the doctor yesterday to have my thyroid checked, I began to tell her about my life. I started with the postpartum explanation, but as I talked she said the cause was very likely stress. Which is it? I don’t know, but I do know that I have been stressed so either way it is time to start taking care of myself. There is stress in my life right now. I can’t avoid it, but I can do things to make life more manageable, more on that tomorrow.
Ways to “destress” – looking at this cutie
For now tell me did you experience postpartum hair loss or hair loss for any reason?
