Postpartum Hair Loss

While postpartum hair loss is totally common and normal it understandably can cause anxiety and stress that your hair will not stop shedding (or you will have weird straggly bits on the side of your forehead forever!!) 

When we are pregnant the anagen phase of hair growth increases- that is why during pregnancy you often have luscious locks! 

After birth hormones drop and shift- this sadly means the telogen phase increases and all that beautiful hair you grew sheds (just when you feel like the bags under your eyes, weary skin, and Adam Sandler outfits are already making you feel not your best self)..

I get it- it is so hard! While this is a normal process I understand how undesirable it is.. This too shall pass.

However, if you are feeling that your hair loss is excessive; some things I would be looking at are:

Iron panel test- Low levels of iron can cause hair loss- get your levels checked (and not just ferritin).

Full thyroid panel- T.S.H, T3, T4, reverse T3 and antibodies (most doctors will typically on test T.S.H however, you can have a perfect T.SH reading and your thyroid be out of sync. Thyroid imbalances can contribute to hair loss.

Are you still taking a pregnancy multivitamin? You should be taking a pregnancy multi until you finish breastfeeding and at least 6 months postpartum even if you are solely formula feeding. Pregnancy and birth is no joke, your body needs all the replenishing it can get. 

Are you eating enough? It can be common with a new bub to forget how important nourishing yourself is. Undereating can also contribute to losing hair. Ensure you are having balanced meals packed with fat, protein, iron, and plenty of veggies.

In the meantime, sip on nettle tea- rich in minerals to support hair growth and try a rosemary oil blend in your hair which will see your hair improve.

Never fear lovelies- this too will be a season that passes so be gentle to yourself. Postpartum is a long ride so don’t let your expectations surpass the reality of this time. 

Reach out if you need some support. 

Katie 

Nurturing The Mother-Women's Health Series: Part 6: Kiera

In this series you will get the opportunity to meet 5 beautiful women and their babies (both earthside and inside), who I have been lucky enough to be entrusted in the role of naturopath during their pivotal stages of life. These women have kindly given me permission to share their stories with you. By sharing their stories this may evoke feelings of hope in you that the health of you or your loved ones can improve and even blossom.

In our final edition to the series, we will be sitting down with Kiera. She had expressed that she had previously experienced migraines, and had found their frequency had increased in her first pregnancy. Kiera had acknowledged that her current healthcare practitioners weren’t able to offer her much more than symptomatic treatment. Kiera wanted to have a deeper understanding as to why these were occurring for her, and what triggers may be impacting the migraines.

What led you to seek support from a naturopath?

I had grown up seeing a naturopath and so seeking support from Katie while having migraines during pregnancy was an obvious step for me. Both G.P. and midwife support had only really addressed the management of the migraines and I knew naturopathy would get to the root cause. Once I gave birth to my son, I sought support from Katie in the post-partum period for mood and hormonal changes!

How has the process with Katie been?

Katie's approach is empathic, non-judgmental, educational and thorough. I felt she understood how much I was struggling and how this was impacting my well-being. During the pregnancy period she was able to provide a supplement plan including new prenatal vitamins and manageable changes to diet as well as provide a referral for acupuncture. My migraines did not return after that first appointment for the remainder of the pregnancy and significantly reduced over all since! For postpartum she introduced new supplements including a custom herbal remedy.

How have you begun to weave naturopathic principles more into your life? Are there any rituals that have become a daily rhythm for you?

I believe I am focused on addressing the root cause of illness rather than managing symptoms and I'm more open to considering contributing factors to health from various angles. I am of belief now that it is better to prevent illness and so have been on the journey to slowly adjust diet and lifestyle.

How has your health, body, wellness etc. transformed since beginning your journey?

Since seeing Katie I have had very few migraines, which was a significant improvement to the monthly migraines I was having previously. I know now how to support myself if I do get one and I'm able to reflect on what may be contributing in the lead up. I feel more confident and equipped to get back on track with my health by making small and manageable changes bit by bit. This was something I really took away from Katie's approach as it can be very easy to get overwhelmed by big changes!

How has incorporating a holistic naturopathic approach to fertility/pregnancy/postpartum care or to your child’s health changed your emotional or mental well-being?

Taking this approach significantly impacted my overall wellbeing in both pregnancy and postpartum. The mainstream health care I was receiving from midwives and my G.P. had its place for sure but naturopathy provided the missing pieces to the puzzle! I'm so glad I incorporated this into my support plan for both periods and would highly recommend every mother wherever you are on the journey to consider it too!

Nurturing The Mother-Women's Health Series: Part 5: Elly

In this series you will get the opportunity to meet 5 beautiful women and their babies (both earthside and inside), who I have been lucky enough to be entrusted in the role of naturopath during their pivotal stages of life. These women have kindly given me permission to share their stories with you. By sharing their stories this may evoke feelings of hope in you that the health of you or your loved ones can improve and even blossom.

In our fifth addition to the series, we will be sitting down with Elly. When we first started working together Elly was not menstruating, and had a disharmonious relationship with her body & food. She wanted a baby in her future but knew she needed to get her hormones back on track. Elly now has two gorgeous girls and is flourishing in motherhood.

What led you to seek support from a naturopath?

Like many women, I’ve delt with body image issues, food restrictive diets, over exercising and under nurturing my body. I think this started when I got a modelling contract at 17 years old and was obsessing about my weight, competing against other women and all my focus was on the exterior. It is an ugly industry.

I was completely detached from womanhood. At 21 I stopped getting my period and thought nothing of it until I wanted to start a family shortly after I got married when I was 26. I spoke to my GP, and they referred me to see a specialist clinic for IVF. I knew that wasn’t my journey and that’s when I booked a consultation with Katie.

Katie nurtured my soul and gently guided me to increase calories, reduce intensity of exercise and tune into my mind, body and soul. Katie provided me with herbs to balance my hormones and suggested acupuncture. With Katie’s knowledge, coaching and kindness I transformed my body and mind to function the way it should, and I got my period, then fell pregnant!

Katie provided me with herbs throughout my pregnancy and postpartum to help with depletion and recovery. I am beyond grateful for Katie as now I have a beautiful 14-month-old girl.

How has the process with Katie been?

Katie has gone above and beyond to care for me with nothing but respect, kindness, warmth and understanding. She opens her heart and shares her wisdom and knowledge. Katie never judges and always made me feel like I was talking to a sister. Katie always provides a safe space to talk and a warm cup of herbal tea upon arrival! Katie is diligent with her work and provides an in-depth email recapping the entire session along with recommendations, recipes, and advice. Katie’s herbs have made my mind, body and soul feel so much brighter and better. I can’t thank Katie enough!

How have you begun to weave naturopathic principles more into your life? Are there any rituals that have become a daily rhythm for you?

Our morning begins with herbs from Katie for me and probiotics sprinkled on Mahlia’s morning eggs to help rebuild her gut after a course of antibiotics. Throughout the day we focus on nourishing our bodies with high nutrient dense food. We focus on high protein, essential fats, and healthy carbs. 95% of our meals are cooked at home, avoiding seed oils and microplastics from packaging.

Our nights end with a cup of chamomile tea and magnesium chocolate from PEAK (I must have chocolate!).

How has your health, body, wellness etc. transformed since beginning your journey?

My overall health has completely transformed since the day I first spoke to Katie about all things women, nutrition and fertility. I went from being completely infertile to conceiving a baby and becoming a mummy!

How has incorporating a holistic naturopathic approach to fertility/pregnancy/postpartum care or to your child’s health changed your emotional or mental well-being?

Fertility, pregnancy, postpartum and now taking care of a toddler can be exhausting and depleting!

Incorporating a holistic naturopathic approach to each day helped me sleep better and function during the day with more energy, combat sickness and feel great. I believe nourishing the body through food, herbs and movement creates a calm and clear mind. Doing morning rituals of herbs, eating probiotic foods and fresh organic produce ensures my family is thriving each day.

Nurturing The Mother-Women's Health Series: Part 4: Kate

In this series you will get the opportunity to meet 5 beautiful women and their babies (both earthside and inside), who I have been lucky enough to be entrusted in the role of naturopath during their pivotal stages of life. These women have kindly given me permission to share their stories with you. By sharing their stories this may evoke feelings of hope in you that the health of you or your loved ones can improve and even blossom.

In our fourth addition to the series, we will be sitting down with Kate. When Kate first came to me she was struggling with hormonal acne, and exhaustion. Although Kate had worked in the health and wellness industry, she found it overwhelming to know what was the right approach for her. When Kate conceived whilst on the trip of a lifetime, we were still able to connect and work together to ensure her health was maintained in this next beautiful stage of life.

What led you to seek support from a naturopath?

I first reached out to Katie as I was looking to support poor energy levels and ongoing hormonal acne. There’s such an overload of health information out there, and even though I had worked in the health and wellbeing space for years I found it hard to navigate. I wanted to get a personalised approach to make sure I was taking the right steps to support my needs, so I reached out to Katie. She’s remained a trusted health professional for me, and I’ve since been seeing her to support my pregnancy.

How has the process with Katie been?

Katie is one of the loveliest humans you could meet! She is so flexible with her sessions, which was a huge support for me when I was traveling remote parts of Australia. I was able to have phone consults and she even helped find local pharmacies and health food stores where I could collect my prescribed supplements. 

I initially started seeing Katie with video sessions during COVID-19 lockdowns, and have since had consults via phone or in-person (which is always my favourite). It’s a comfort to know there’s someone I trust that I can consult with on health issues or decisions as they come up.

How have you begun to weave naturopathic principles more into your life? Are there any rituals that have become a daily rhythm for you?

One of the big things for me is always looking at my plate to make sure I’m getting my nutrient needs for the day. Of course not every day looks like this - sometimes I’m at the beach enjoying hot chippies! But overall, this has helped my husband and I to know we are giving our bodies what it needs to work its best, and it has really paid off in how we physically feel. 

I also love starting my day with warm water and apple cider vinegar, enjoying lots of herbal teas and taking some time in the day to switch off and connect with nature. I’ve also learnt to love the routine of my liquid herbs when I’m taking them!

How has your health, body, wellness etc. transformed since beginning your journey?

When I first started seeing Katie I found that I had really low iron levels - to be honest I didn’t even realise how tired I was feeling each day until my energy started bouncing back after working with Katie. 

I was lucky to have had good skin for most of my life, however I found that I was getting ongoing breakouts across my back which I couldn’t pinpoint to anything in particular. Being able to find trigger points to this helped clear the issue, but also helped to boost my confidence. 

Being pregnant has brought my health into a whole new light. Katie has been a wealth of wisdom in helping me feel my best while I navigate all the changes and symptoms of pregnancy. 

I now feel the best I have in years, and I know Katie has played a huge role in that. She has really supported me in achieving my optimal health and I’m so thankful. 

How has incorporating a holistic naturopathic approach to fertility/pregnancy/postpartum care or to your child’s health changed your emotional or mental well-being?

I believe that working with Katie to get my body feeling strong and balanced in the last two years played a huge role in setting me up for pregnancy. 

I was traveling Australia with my husband when we conceived. While it was such an exciting time finding out we were pregnant, I also found those first few weeks quite overwhelming. We were in a really remote area without our usual support network and GP, so all the little things like blood tests were hard to navigate. 

As soon as we found out we were pregnant, I messaged Katie and set up a consultation. This helped reduce my anxiety so much. Working with Katie to navigate my pregnancy has made me feel comfortable in knowing I’m doing everything I can to support my body and my growing baby. 

Nurturing The Mother-Women's Health Series: Part 3: Immy

In this series you will get the opportunity to meet 5 beautiful women and their babies (both earthside and inside), who I have been lucky enough to be entrusted in the role of naturopath during their pivotal stages of life. These women have kindly given me permission to share their stories with you. By sharing their stories this may evoke feelings of hope in you that the health of you or your loved ones can improve and even blossom.

In our third addition to the series, we will be meeting Immy, daughter of Penelope. When we first started working together, Immy was struggling with food allergies, reflux and irritating eczema. Her family was feeling overwhelmed with how to support her best, and upset knowing how uncomfortable she was.

What led you to seek support from a naturopath?

I first approached Katie when Immy was around 6 months to assist with her eczema and digestive discomfort. Immy had been diagnosed with reflux which wreaked havoc with not only her sleep but also her overall digestion. She was gassy, squirmy and struggled to keep milk feeds down.

As we started the weaning journey, we also discovered she suffered from a bunch of food allergies (egg & tree nuts) and would break out in hives if she consumed too many foods high in salicylates in a day.

I felt totally perplexed about what foods I should feed her (and myself), what topical creams would help & whether she needed to be taking supplements to assist with her troublesome digestive system.

How has the process with Katie been?

Katie put together a lifestyle plan for Immy & I which included: reducing eczema triggering household products and swapping them out for a more natural alternatives, giving Immy smaller and more frequent milk feeds, along with baby wearing to aid her digestion. She also prescribed both Immy and I herbs and supplements to assist with her issues.

It was such a relief to my husband and I to see her symptoms improving once implementing these changes.

How has Immy’s health, body, wellness etc. transformed since beginning her journey?

Immy is now 16 months. She is a much happier little person than when we first reached out to Katie. We are still careful about what products we use in our house (and on ourselves) however, she no longer struggles with poor digestion.  

How has incorporating a holistic naturopathic approach to fertility/pregnancy/postpartum care or to your child’s health changed your emotional or mental well-being? 

By incorporating a holistic naturopathic approach to Immy’s health, we have seen her go from a very uncomfortable and irritable baby to a relaxed and thriving toddler. We can’t thank Katie enough for all her help with Immy. There is no worse feeling than seeing your baby not living their happiest life and with Katie’s skills and knowledge, this all changed!