Hair Loss while Breastfeeding

Hair loss after delivery is a common phenomenon experienced by most women. It is but obvious to get alarmed by the large clumps of hair that you keep losing all the time. You may altogether give up shampooing or brushing your hair for the fear of losing them. Many women associate hair loss with breastfeeding, as it occurs about the same time as breastfeeding. However, one must note that breastfeeding hasn't got anything to do with it. In fact, women who bottle-feed their babies also experience this condition. It is more related to postpartum body function than breastfeeding. Most women, irrespective of whether they choose to breastfeed or not, suffer from this problem. Here are a few possible causes of hair loss while breastfeeding or shall we say hair loss post pregnancy.


Hair Loss while Breastfeeding

To understand the possible causes behind hair loss after pregnancy, one needs to understand a few basics about hair growth. At any given point of time, your hair is in either of the two phases, anagen, the growth phase or telogen, the resting phase. About 85% hair are in anagen, where they grow about 1-2 cm every month. This phase lasts for about 5 to 7 years. The remaining hair are in resting phase, after which they fall out of their follicles. This phase lasts for about 2 to 3 months. The new hair pushes the hair in resting phase out of the follicle. Normal healthy women lose about 100 hair everyday. 

Hair growth cycle is greatly influenced by the hormones in the body. As you might be aware, pregnancy is a period in which female hormones are rampant. The levels of estrogen and progesterone are particularly high. Estrogen causes the hair to stay in resting phase for an abnormally longer time. It also causes the hair in growth phase to grow faster. As a result, you get thick, long, lustrous locks during your pregnancy. When the pregnancy ends and you deliver your baby, the hormones start coming back to their normal function. As a result, hair in the resting phase start falling off at once. This is the reason you may experience excessive hair loss. However, in reality, you are only losing those hair which have already outgrown their life cycle. Nonetheless, the sight of clumps of hair here and there is bound to scare any woman. 

Another cause of hair loss, which can actually be traced to breastfeeding is lack of nutrients. When you are breastfeeding, the body draws all of its nutrients to supply them to the baby through breast milk. As a result, your hair, nails may be deprived of vital nutrients. However, if you are taking a balance meal and sufficient calories everyday, this should not be a problem in your case. In some cases, stress, postpartum depression may also become a cause of hair loss.

How to Prevent Hair Loss while Breastfeeding

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about postpartum hair loss. Although, you may get disappointed by seeing thinning patches on your head, be assured that your hair will come back to its pregnancy state within 6 to 12 months. Your hair will come back to normal, by the time your baby reaches her first birthday. Even a trichologist may not be of much help for treating postpartum hair loss. However, the most you can do is eat a healthy, balanced diet and ensure that your nutrient intake is sufficient. 

If you experience abnormal hair loss after childbirth for more than a year, probably it's time to consult your physician. In other cases, just calm down and wait for your hair to resume their normal growth cycle.

Hair Loss while Breastfeeding

Hair loss after delivery is a common phenomenon experienced by most women. It is but obvious to get alarmed by the large clumps of hair that you keep losing all the time. You may altogether give up shampooing or brushing your hair for the fear of losing them. Many women associate hair loss with breastfeeding, as it occurs about the same time as breastfeeding. However, one must note that breastfeeding hasn't got anything to do with it. In fact, women who bottle-feed their babies also experience this condition. It is more related to postpartum body function than breastfeeding. Most women, irrespective of whether they choose to breastfeed or not, suffer from this problem. Here are a few possible causes of hair loss while breastfeeding or shall we say hair loss post pregnancy.


Hair Loss while Breastfeeding

To understand the possible causes behind hair loss after pregnancy, one needs to understand a few basics about hair growth. At any given point of time, your hair is in either of the two phases, anagen, the growth phase or telogen, the resting phase. About 85% hair are in anagen, where they grow about 1-2 cm every month. This phase lasts for about 5 to 7 years. The remaining hair are in resting phase, after which they fall out of their follicles. This phase lasts for about 2 to 3 months. The new hair pushes the hair in resting phase out of the follicle. Normal healthy women lose about 100 hair everyday. 

Hair growth cycle is greatly influenced by the hormones in the body. As you might be aware, pregnancy is a period in which female hormones are rampant. The levels of estrogen and progesterone are particularly high. Estrogen causes the hair to stay in resting phase for an abnormally longer time. It also causes the hair in growth phase to grow faster. As a result, you get thick, long, lustrous locks during your pregnancy. When the pregnancy ends and you deliver your baby, the hormones start coming back to their normal function. As a result, hair in the resting phase start falling off at once. This is the reason you may experience excessive hair loss. However, in reality, you are only losing those hair which have already outgrown their life cycle. Nonetheless, the sight of clumps of hair here and there is bound to scare any woman. 

Another cause of hair loss, which can actually be traced to breastfeeding is lack of nutrients. When you are breastfeeding, the body draws all of its nutrients to supply them to the baby through breast milk. As a result, your hair, nails may be deprived of vital nutrients. However, if you are taking a balance meal and sufficient calories everyday, this should not be a problem in your case. In some cases, stress, postpartum depression may also become a cause of hair loss.

How to Prevent Hair Loss while Breastfeeding

Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do about postpartum hair loss. Although, you may get disappointed by seeing thinning patches on your head, be assured that your hair will come back to its pregnancy state within 6 to 12 months. Your hair will come back to normal, by the time your baby reaches her first birthday. Even a trichologist may not be of much help for treating postpartum hair loss. However, the most you can do is eat a healthy, balanced diet and ensure that your nutrient intake is sufficient. 

If you experience abnormal hair loss after childbirth for more than a year, probably it's time to consult your physician. In other cases, just calm down and wait for your hair to resume their normal growth cycle.

High Protein Snacks for Pregnant Women

Pregnant women, more than anyone else, have to be extremely cautious about what they are putting into their mouths. It can affect one's overall health and lead to damaging effects if one's diet during this time is not taken into strict consideration. That prenatal period that mothers go through needs constant care and attention to help not only the baby grow and develop into a healthy child, but ensure that even the mother gets her share of nutrients. Knowing how to create a balance in your diet that takes care of both mother and child should be your priority. Stay off the bad carbohydrates and grease laden foods/sugary items that do nothing for your system, and instead opt for those that score big ones where health and safety is concerned.


High protein snacks for pregnant women are vital where you need to include protein in your diet on a day to day basis. In order to pile on the healthy calories and steer clear from the bad ones, eating protein rich foods will go a long way for you and your baby. Proteins are known to fill one's system longer, making one feel more satiated for a longer period of time. It is also contributes to muscle mass growth ensuring that you get your daily dose of energy and the replacement of it when lost due to physical activities like walking or exercising. You'll find help here on how to put together simple small portioned meals that you can snack on when those food cravings kick in which are inevitably a part of pregnancy.

Ideal Protein Foods to Eat for Pregnant Women

Protein rich snacks make up foods that are abundant in protein and help pregnant women get that much needed dose of this element in their systems. Let's look into which foods are best eaten when it comes to the highest in protein content. 

• Eggs
• Turkey
• Seafood (tuna and salmon)
• Chicken
• Beef
• Milk
• Protein bars
• Protein shakes
• Vegetables
• Soy products (go easy on these)
• Cheese
• Nuts
• Oats
• Yogurt
• Lentils
• Fruits

Healthy High Protein Snacks During Pregnancy

Let's look into some easy to prepare healthy high protein snacks for pregnant women and how to spread these out during the course of the week. Breakfast and lunch should be the most protein rich meals of the day using all kinds of food sources that are rich in varied nutrients besides these.

• Egg whites (separate the yolks of two eggs and then fry the whites of these in olive oil coupled with herbs/mushrooms).
• You can prepare a filling protein shake of strawberries combined with non fat cream and non fat milk. Blitz these together in a blender and pour into a tall glass and garnish with mint.
• Mini turkey sandwiches with three slices of turkey, lettuce leaves, olives, tomato and a teaspoon of blue cheese.
• Poached chicken with vegetable salad using lettuce, tomato, cottage cheese, olives, orange sections and herbs as your base ingredients, finished off with lemon juice.
Poached shrimp gravy with brown rice.
• Toasted tofu with sautéed vegetables.
• Protein bars or nuts during midday to munch on when the cravings set in.
• 1 banana combined with crushed oats and non fat milk, for a protein shake.
• Grilled beef (use electric grill) combined with non fat cream cheese dressing and egg whites.
• Oatmeal porridge, combined with fruits of your choice, usually raspberries or blueberries.
• Lentil soup with vegetables like carrots and shallots.
• Nuts like almonds, cashews or walnuts.
• Non fat yogurt with grapes or berries.
• A fruit bowl with watermelon, kiwi, pomegranate and sliced apple, topped off with freshly squeezed orange juice.

  These high protein snacks will do well for those expecting babies and looking for healthy eats to fill up the day. Be sure to use breakfast and lunch as your high protein based eating times of the day. Drink plenty of fluids as well and make sure that everything is fresh and free from all kinds of preservatives/additives. Have a healthy tomorrow.

High Protein Snacks for Pregnant Women

Pregnant women, more than anyone else, have to be extremely cautious about what they are putting into their mouths. It can affect one's overall health and lead to damaging effects if one's diet during this time is not taken into strict consideration. That prenatal period that mothers go through needs constant care and attention to help not only the baby grow and develop into a healthy child, but ensure that even the mother gets her share of nutrients. Knowing how to create a balance in your diet that takes care of both mother and child should be your priority. Stay off the bad carbohydrates and grease laden foods/sugary items that do nothing for your system, and instead opt for those that score big ones where health and safety is concerned.


High protein snacks for pregnant women are vital where you need to include protein in your diet on a day to day basis. In order to pile on the healthy calories and steer clear from the bad ones, eating protein rich foods will go a long way for you and your baby. Proteins are known to fill one's system longer, making one feel more satiated for a longer period of time. It is also contributes to muscle mass growth ensuring that you get your daily dose of energy and the replacement of it when lost due to physical activities like walking or exercising. You'll find help here on how to put together simple small portioned meals that you can snack on when those food cravings kick in which are inevitably a part of pregnancy.

Ideal Protein Foods to Eat for Pregnant Women

Protein rich snacks make up foods that are abundant in protein and help pregnant women get that much needed dose of this element in their systems. Let's look into which foods are best eaten when it comes to the highest in protein content. 

• Eggs
• Turkey
• Seafood (tuna and salmon)
• Chicken
• Beef
• Milk
• Protein bars
• Protein shakes
• Vegetables
• Soy products (go easy on these)
• Cheese
• Nuts
• Oats
• Yogurt
• Lentils
• Fruits

Healthy High Protein Snacks During Pregnancy

Let's look into some easy to prepare healthy high protein snacks for pregnant women and how to spread these out during the course of the week. Breakfast and lunch should be the most protein rich meals of the day using all kinds of food sources that are rich in varied nutrients besides these.

• Egg whites (separate the yolks of two eggs and then fry the whites of these in olive oil coupled with herbs/mushrooms).
• You can prepare a filling protein shake of strawberries combined with non fat cream and non fat milk. Blitz these together in a blender and pour into a tall glass and garnish with mint.
• Mini turkey sandwiches with three slices of turkey, lettuce leaves, olives, tomato and a teaspoon of blue cheese.
• Poached chicken with vegetable salad using lettuce, tomato, cottage cheese, olives, orange sections and herbs as your base ingredients, finished off with lemon juice.
Poached shrimp gravy with brown rice.
• Toasted tofu with sautéed vegetables.
• Protein bars or nuts during midday to munch on when the cravings set in.
• 1 banana combined with crushed oats and non fat milk, for a protein shake.
• Grilled beef (use electric grill) combined with non fat cream cheese dressing and egg whites.
• Oatmeal porridge, combined with fruits of your choice, usually raspberries or blueberries.
• Lentil soup with vegetables like carrots and shallots.
• Nuts like almonds, cashews or walnuts.
• Non fat yogurt with grapes or berries.
• A fruit bowl with watermelon, kiwi, pomegranate and sliced apple, topped off with freshly squeezed orange juice.

  These high protein snacks will do well for those expecting babies and looking for healthy eats to fill up the day. Be sure to use breakfast and lunch as your high protein based eating times of the day. Drink plenty of fluids as well and make sure that everything is fresh and free from all kinds of preservatives/additives. Have a healthy tomorrow.