Today I am 18 weeks postpartum I think
I am starting to lose track of the weeks
Today we were back at the hospital where Edie was born
And our almost week long stay pre birth
Really did not feel like it was over 4 months ago
I joked to David
We could just have one more?
But no
We are done
Though we do not like the finality of saying so
Our family is complete
So I have just finished my final fourth trimester
And am currently enduring the horror that is
Postpartum hair loss
I have lost hair after the birth of all our children
I am lucky that I have lots to lose
I have very very thick hair!
I also have hair that grows at a rapid rate
So previous pregnancies the hair loss has not seemed so bad
You cannot really see the loss in hairs on my head
But you do notice the hair all around the house
On the floor
On the furniture
Brushes bursting with bunches of hair
And plug holes blocked with soggy knots
It is not a pretty sight
It is a pain to clear up
When breastfeeding I have to be really careful
That baby does not end up with a fistful of my hair
Or worse still a mouthful
There is nothing positive about postpartum hair loss
At all
But there are things you can do to minimise the mess
The physical and emotional effects
And to clear any blocked and slow clearing drains
Here they are
1. Brush gently and style sparingly
Handling your hair too much and too often can make the rate of hair loss increase. You may find that you lose larger clumps of hair. It is best to let your hair dry naturally and to limit brushing to once a day. It is also advisable to avoid tying your hair back, though for me I have to tie it back while feeding to avoid Edie grabbing or gobbling my hair!
2. Eat well
Make sure that you are eating a healthy diet. To help your hair you need to be eating dark leafy greens (for the iron and vitamin C), sweet potatoes and carrots (for the beta carotene), eggs (for the vitamin D), and fish (for omega-3s and magnesium)
3. Take postnatal vitamins
I take Pregnacare Breastfeeding Tablets from Vitabiotics. They are really good and come with added omega 3 DHA. These are beneficial to all new mummies not just those who are feeding.
4. Use volumising shampoo
If you have thin and / or fine hair then using a volumising shampoo can give your hair and your self confidence a boost. My hair is incredibly thick so instead I use a moisturising or strengthening shampoo to keep my hair in good condition as my hormone profile changes.
5. Use a product to clean and clear your drains
I have been testing Buster Bathroom Plughole Unblocker
This product dissolves hair and soap scum
Our drains are not currently blocked
But I know that they will become so
Because it has happened before
I lose a lot of hair in the shower
A lot of the time
Even more so during this postpartum period
I am forever pulling soap soaked hair balls
Out of the shower
And out of the sink
If I brush my hair over the basin
Can be used regularly
To avoid the build up
That leads to a block up
For preventative use
You pour about a third (100ml) of the bottle down the plughole
Leave to work overnight
Flush through with hot water
You should use Buster monthly to keep your plugholes clear
One bottle of product retails at just over £3
Making this £12 a year to keep your bath or shower plughole clean and clear
And here are some reasons why it is a good idea to do just that
Warm dark plugholes provide the perfect breeding ground for germs
Bacteria breeds on the hair, soap sludge and skin particles that washes down there
The bacteria gets trapped in the pipes
Leading to nasty smells and blockages
With Buster it is easy to prevent the build up
Or unblock it fast as soon as it happens
You can buy Buster Products from most leading supermarkets, DIY stores and online
We were sent two bottles of Buster Bathroom Plughole Unblocker for the purpose of this review