Diane Dressler wrote:
>An oft remarked upon phenomena in my experience talking with other mothers,
>breastfeeding or not, is increased hair loss after pregnancy.  Does anyone
>care to comment on this relationship?  Is it hormonal?  How much does
>lactation have to do with it?

The following is a post I sent to Lactnet last December when this subject
came up.

What a coincidence that I have just been writing about post-partum hair
loss, called "telogen effluvium", for NMAA, so I have to reply on this one.
There is a paper in NMAA Regional Information Service File (by Jenny
Stuchberry in 1988), on this that explains the phenomenom, and it is *not*
caused by breastfeeding. This paper suggests the mother seek a medical
opinion as there are several medical causes of hair loss, including thyroid
disorder and iron deficiency. If disease is ruled out, she can be reassured
that it is not due to breastfeeding, but more likely to pregnancy and the
stress of childbirth. It seems it is likely to be a combination of
less-than-normal hair loss during pregnancy (which is why pregnant women
often have such beautiful thick hair), with a resulting increase of hair
loss after the baby is born, plus loss that can occur following a stressful
event. Examples of these can include fever, hormonal changes or some drugs.
Childbirth can be included in this. The hair loss is not immediate, but
occurs about 3 to 4 months following the stressful situation. The typical
pattern in new mothers is hair loss starting 2 to 4 months post-partum, and
continuing for 2 to 5 months. The paper actually describes the process of
hair growth and loss in general, which is quite interesting. The references
given at the end of the paper are:

Wade TR, Wade SL & Jones HE "Skin changes and diseases associated with
pregnancy" Obstetrics and Gynaecology 52(2) August 1978

Aldridge RD "Hair loss" British Medical Journal 289 13th October 1984


Re: cabbage
>Anyone care to give a short lesson on the use of cabbage in decreasing milk
>supply?  I have long noticed references on Lactnet to using cabbage.  I
>remember reading something briefly in Medela's Rental Roundup newsletter
>several years ago.

I'm not sure if anyone really knows *why* cabbage leaves help with
engorgement, and suppress milk supply, just that they seem to work! The way
they are used depends on what the reason/desired effects are, etc. They
seem to work more dramatically for some mothers than others. In some
mothers, I believe continuous use for a couple of days can totally dry up a
milk supply. (Useful with stillbirths, etc.) If it is for temporary
engorgement, judicious use for a couple of hours at a time, and assessing
their effects, is often recommended. The following references discuss their
use:

Rosier W "Cool Cabbage Compresses" Breastfeeding Review 1(12): 28-31 (1988)

Corrieri D "Cabbage Leaves: An Effective Treatment for Swollen Tissues"
(Letter) J Hum Lact 8(3): 126-127 (1992)

Nikodem VC et al "Do cabbage leaves prevent breast engorgement? A
ramdomised, controlled study" Birth 20: 61-64 (1993)

Roberts KL "A Comparison of Chilled Cabbage Leaves and Chilled Gelpaks in
Reducing Breast Engorgement" J Hum Lact 11(1): 17-20 (1995)

Roberts KL et al "A comparison of chilled and room temperature cabbage
leaves in treating breast engorgement" J Hum Lact 11(3): 191-194 (1995)

Joy Anderson IBCLC, NMAA Breastfeeding Counsellor
Perth, Western Australia
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