“…now that the new baby has arrived”

or is topic number one. And as I always refer them to their obstetrician, coloring hair, or the lack thereof has not been linked to anything that is “baby” harmful. But one thing that I can speak of with certainty is one of the “after-effects” of bringing your new bundle of joy home from the hospital: hair loss.

QUESTION: I had my baby 2 months ago, and now, it seems all of the sudden my hair is falling out by the handful. I am freaking out…is this normal?

ANSWER: Yes it’s normal. You need to remember that your hair goes through a life cycle just like everything else. It is known as Growth, Fall, Replace. Have you ever noticed that sometimes during the course of the year, you think that one part of the hair on your head is growing more than, or faster than, other parts of hair on your head? That’s because your hairs’ life is cyclical. While some is growing, [up to 90%] there is another 5-10% that is dedicated to the Fall and Replacestages of that cycle. So, there’s no need to hit the panic button! Remember that you lose between 100-200 hairs on average daily, so what you are seeing is just an accelerated visual of the norm.

It is also important to remind yourself that during the gestation period, your body is reeking havoc with your estrogen levels. During that time, scientists say that there are fewer hairs falling out daily, so you should expect to experience a fuller, thicker, sensation of hair to run your hands through.

Don’t forget that following the arrival of your newest addition, those very same estrogen levels will bottom out, just like your available sleep time! So while you are catching a few winks in between nap times and feedings, try to ignore the sudden hair loss. Rest assured that within the next 9-12 months, your hair and body will be back in tip top shape, and back to normal.

Now with all that out of the way, it’s time to concentrate on all things baby!

Have you started thinking about what you will feed your little one after breast milk or bottled milk, when it’s time for solid food? Have you thought about the feeding scheduleyour little one will be on? What are your thoughts on diapering? My suggestion:

“Talk to Shawna.” [wife, mother, photographer, decorating enthusiast,do-it-yourself-er, cloth diaper-er, homemade babyhood maker, pet lover, painter, gardener, athlete, and military wife]