Nobody quite prepares you for the first time you pull a literal clump of hair out of the shower drain, months after the baby, when you assumed the big physical changes were behind you.
It's extremely common, it has a name, and there's a fairly predictable timeline attached to it.
Why it happens
During pregnancy, rising hormones extend the growth phase of hair, so less falls out than usual - which is why a lot of mums notice thicker, fuller hair while pregnant. After birth, hormone levels drop sharply, and all that hair that was "held onto" enters the shedding phase at once. The medical term is telogen effluvium, and it affects up to 90% of new mums to some degree.
- Usually starts around 2-4 months postpartum
- Peaks around 3-4 months
- Most mums see visible regrowth by 6-12 months, often with a fringe of shorter "baby hairs" growing back in first
What actually helps
- A gentle, volumising shampoo - it won't stop shedding, but can make hair feel less flat while it's happening
- A softer brush and looser styles reduce breakage on hair that's already more fragile
- Iron and vitamin levels are worth mentioning at a postpartum check if shedding feels unusually heavy - genuine deficiency can compound normal postpartum shedding
- A trim can make regrowth less noticeable in the short term, if the wispy new-growth "halo" is bothering you
When it's worth checking with a GP
Ordinary postpartum shedding tapers off within a year. If hair loss is still heavy well past 12 months, or you notice actual bald patches rather than general thinning, that's worth a GP conversation - it's less common, but other causes (thyroid changes are a frequent one postpartum) are worth ruling out.
It grows back - genuinely
This is one of the more dramatic-looking postpartum changes and also one of the most reliably temporary. The handfuls in the drain are hair your body held onto during pregnancy, all catching up at once - not hair you're losing for good.
If it's happening around the same time as everything else in the fourth trimester, it can feel like one more thing - but out of everything on that list, this is one of the ones that fully resolves on its own.