The beauty of breastfeeding

You know, a lot can be said for the happy hormones that pump around your body when you’re breastfeeding. Little things that may have once been cause for concern become insignificant because the health of your bub is far more important than whether your hair’s been blow-dried or your nails are perfectly painted.

But when breastfeeding stops, many mums start looking, and feeling, far worse for wear…

My friend Susie is a mess. One day she was stress-free and serene, the next (less than a week later) she was falling apart – anxious, jittery and as far removed from the calm Susie I knew as possible. Had she lost her job? Had her partner run away with the lady from the corner shop?

No. She’d simply stopped breastfeeding and become an emotional timebomb. With crazy hair.

Luckily, I was able to offer poor Susie support through the emotion explosions. While I was pregnant, my midwife warned me that when you wean your little one, the drop in prolactin levels (prolactin being the hormone that stimulates milk production) can cause mood swings. Thankfully, she also assured me the symptoms would wear off with time.

But she didn’t warn me about post-breastfeeding fringe frizz. I got it, Susie’s got it and half the new mums I know have it – it  must be a hormonal thing.

I’ll investigate. But in the meantime, I’ll just slip Susie my favourite fringe-smoother (I’ve been using John Frieda’s Extra Strength Frizz-Ease Hair Serum by the handful) with a knowing smile. Mums have an unspoken understanding.