Psychedelic Use During and After Pregnancy

Mental health challenges, depression, and anxiety often lead women to take psychiatric medications during pregnancy. Rising birth trauma and postpartum depression remain tragic and complex, affecting not just mothers but also their babies. Postpartum depression (PPD) impacts up to 1 in 8 women, leading to persistent sadness, fatigue, and difficulty bonding, which can undermine wellbeing and daily functioning for mothers and families. Children of mothers with untreated PPD are at increased risk for cognitive delays, behavioral issues, and insecure attachment, with effects that can persist, influencing their mental health risks going forward. Early clinical studies show that psychedelics may help with postpartum depression [1] ; however, mothers have typically been required to stop breastfeeding to participate, a trade-off many view as harmful in itself. Some women struggling with substance use disorders find psychedelic therapy helps reduce cravings – potentially reducing harms from alcohol or opioids during pregnancy, where risk to infant health is well established.

Indigenous Knowledge: Insights from TraditionIndigenous Knowledge: Insights from Tradition

Indigenous communities have long histories of using plant medicines, including psychedelics, in maternal care. Among various Amazonian groups, ayahuasca—rich in DMT—is sometimes used in pregnancy under ritual guidance. Central American traditions have documented psilocybin use by pregnant women, while in some North American Indigenous groups, peyote (mescaline) appears in ceremonies involving pregnancy. Reasons for use vary: in some traditions, early-pregnancy psychedelic use was believed to test the viability of the pregnancy; miscarriage signaled that the pregnancy was not “strong” enough. More commonly, psychedelic plants like ayahuasca or mushrooms are used later in pregnancy or even during childbirth, guided by elders or female relatives and embedded in strong social support. In the Santo Daime tradition in Brazil, small doses of ayahuasca are shared in the final month to support relaxation, pain relief, and the sacred spiritual journey of birth. Elsewhere, mothers may use psychedelics postpartum or while breastfeeding, and—though rare—some cultures have even anointed newborns with ayahuasca to formally welcome them. These practices always reflect a careful balance of autonomy, spiritual meaning, safety, and strong community safeguards [2 – 5 ]

These traditions hold important insights for research. Understanding their origins and outcomes helps illuminate both potential risks and overlooked benefits. However, traditional use must always be contextualized; what holds meaning within one community might not be safe or appropriate in another.

A 2024 survey, “Mothers  of the Mushroom,” polled over 400 mothers who used psilocybin mushrooms during pregnancy or breastfeeding. About 43% used them while pregnant, and 57% during lactation, with no deaths reported. Most sought support for mental health or spiritual wellbeing, preferring natural options over pharmaceuticals. Reported benefits included increased patience, emotional stability, and improved family connection—as summed up by one: “I was able to laugh and play with my children when before I was a depressed couch potato.” For 14 reported pregnancies, outcomes matched national averages; most babies were born full term and healthy. Dosing was mostly microdoses (<0.3g), prepared as capsules, teas, or similar forms [6].

But there are limitations: these surveys are self-selecting and retrospective, likely over-representing positive stories and missing those with poor experiences.

Backing this, Amanda Elmore’s 2025 study (N=94) found that 96% of mothers using psilocybin during or after pregnancy reported improved mental health, such as less depression, anxiety, or PTSD. Over half (55%) preferred microdosing to stay present as parents. The study underscores potential, but urges caution, given unknowns in breastfeeding safety, small sample sizes, and self-report bias [7].Such work deserves more support. Meanwhile, acute risks cannot be ignored—other medical literature highlights that infants are especially vulnerable to exposures via lactation [8].

Where Research Falls Short / Setting a Research Framework

Solid research and ethical safeguards must always precede clinical change. Studies on psychedelics in pregnancy should ensure true informed consent, account for hormonal changes, and be sensitive to cultural context. The best research teams bring together obstetricians, midwives, psychiatrists, Indigenous advisors, and policy experts. Including pregnant people in research is about justice, not just evidence. Early, careful observation – not just intervention – will help avoid repeating mistakes of the past.

Less than 40% of U.S. clinical trial participants are women, and fewer than 1% of drug studies enroll people who are pregnant [9]. This leaves critical gaps in understanding medication safety, and most trials fail to consider the impact of hormonal cycles, pregnancy, and menopause on drug effects. Caution is vital, but rigid exclusion only deepens inequities – especially for already marginalized women. We need comprehensive studies to weigh both risk and benefit in these sensitive windows [10]

Microdosing vs. Large Doses

A microdose is just a crumb – about 0.1 to 0.3 grams of mushrooms, far below the amount needed for a full experience. A large dose is a big leap – usually 2 grams or more for a full psychedelic journey. Large doses can cause profound mind-altering effects and greater fetal or infant exposure. Microdosing’s risks are simply unknown: while popular, there’s no firm evidence that it is “safer” or that repeated small exposures during pregnancy or breastfeeding are benign.

What Animal Studies Tell Us

Animal studies suggest psychedelics cross the placenta [11]. This, along with likely transfer into breastmilk, points to real caution – yet rodents are not humans, and we’re only beginning to unravel the risks. Effects may vary with timing and dose, but periods of rapid infant brain development are especially vulnerable.

What Needs to Happen

Research must partner with affected communities – including Indigenous groups and grassroots mothers’ networks – while tracking both dose and frequency, and following children through to adulthood. Future studies should gather more nuanced, culturally informed data, and policy should support robust participant protection.

Understanding if and how psychedelics get into breastmilk is vital. Women should have clear guidelines, as exists for alcohol, ensuring mothers seeking psychedelic therapy can make informed choices about when to safely feed their infants. More knowledge will allow women to access potentially life-changing treatment without risking breastfeeding’s benefits.

Final Thoughts

Pregnancy heightens awareness and empathy, and all research should reflect that reality. Listening deeply to women’s experiences and combining rigorous scientific evidence with insights from cultural and community knowledge will lead to better support for families. Responsible, inclusive research and clear communication help ensure safer, more empowered health choices – without resorting to fear or stigma.​

But at the end of the day, every person who is struggling – whether with depression, anxiety, or other difficulties – faces real decisions between alternatives. If someone isn’t feeling well, there’s never only one path forward: options range from doing nothing, to standard therapies (like SSRIs), to exploring integrative or emergent modalities such as psychedelics.​

With antidepressants such as SSRIs, we have decades of accumulated research. This allows women and clinicians to weigh comprehensive data when considering both the risks – to parent and baby – of treatment versus the risks of untreated illness. For example, though SSRIs are more studied and widely prescribed, some research suggests there are possible effects on babies in utero, prompting careful, individualized risk assessment and robust informed consent processes. The ability to compare these medications to “doing nothing” or to counseling or holistic supports is critical: with established treatments, we can make decisions that are grounded in known risks and benefits, not guesswork.​

With psychedelics, we are not yet even at the testing stage for pregnancy and breastfeeding – the landscape is one of hope, but also of major unknowns. This means women who are struggling deserve transparency about the gaps: not just what evidence is missing, but what those absences mean in real clinical risk and choice. It is not simply about weighing “psychedelics versus nothing” – it is a matter of comparing these substances against all available evidence-based treatments, understanding the knowns and unknowns, and always returning to the root question: “Compared to what?”.​

Do no harm must remain our guiding light – especially as psychedelics expand their therapeutic reach. We now see, for instance, that increased cannabis use during pregnancy (after medicalization and decriminalization) is linked to unexpected risks for children’s psychiatric health, reminding us what can happen when we move faster than the evidence.​

Pregnancy should not be pathologized; it should be honored as a period of heightened relationality and responsibility. Through research, understanding, and respectful engagement, we may discern how psychedelics could genuinely alleviate maternal distress within a holistic and culturally sensitive framework. To avoid leaving women with a dangerous vacuum – where advice is shaped more by belief than understanding – we must shift from risk aversion to responsibility, curiosity, and care.

1. Jairaj, C., & Rucker, J.J. (2022). Postpartum depression: A role for psychedelics? Journal of Psychopharmacology, 36(8), 920–931. 
2. https://doi.org/10.1177/02698811221112084
3. Ayahuasca and Childbirth in the Santo Daime Tradition. Chacruna. (2022, September 28). Retrieved from 
4. https://chacruna.net/ayahuasca-and-childbirth-in-the-santo-daime-tradition/
5. Psychedelic Motherhood: The Altered States of Birth. Chacruna. Retrieved from
6. https://chacruna.net/psychedelic-motherhood-the-altered-states-of-birth/
7. Madrinha Rita: Matriarca brasileira da ayahuasca. Retrieved from – https://www.chacruna-la.org/artigos-pt/madrinha-rita-matriarca-brasileira-da-ayahuasca
8. Shoar S, Bazinet A, Jairaj C. Exploring Psychedelics for Unmet Needs in Women’s Reproductive Health. Psychedelic Med (New Rochelle). 2025 May 26;3(2):113-120. doi: 10.1089/psymed.2024.0033. PMID: 40530407; PMCID: PMC12169204.
9. Mothers of the Mushroom. (2024). Research – Mothers of the Mushroom. 
10. https://mothersofthemushroom.com/research
11. Elmore, A.L. (2025). The Impact of Psilocybin Use on Parenting. (PS25 Presentation)​
12. Anderson, P.O. (2018). Drugs of abuse during breastfeeding. Breastfeeding Medicine, 13(6), 405–407. 
13. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2018.0084
14. ​
15. Brown University. (2025, January 16). Fewer than 1% of U.S. clinical drug trials enroll pregnant participants. Retrieved from 
16. https://www.brown.edu/news/2025-01-16/pregnant-participants
17. ​BMJ. (2025, October 9). Innovative design and modelling to improve sex and gender inclusion in research. Retrieved from 
18. https://www.bmj.com/content/381/bmj.p2247
19. Law, F.C.P., Poon, G., Chui, Y.C., & He, S.–X. (2014). 14C-Psilocin tissue distribution in pregnant rats after intravenous administration. Functional Foods in Health and Disease, 4(6), 236–250. 
20. https://doi.org/10.31989/ffhd.v4i6.9

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