Therefore, fat-soluble drugs may appear in greater concentrations in the latter part of a feeding.ĭr. To complicate matters further, milk composition usually varies within a single feeding foremilk, which appears earlier in a feeding, has a higher lactose content and hindmilk, near the end of a feeding, contains more fat. We also know that the concentration of a drug in the mother’s blood plasma is related to the volume of the drug in the milk, and that the amount of a drug that enters breastmilk is related to the mother’s dose. We know that most drugs ingested by breastfeeding mothers-including pharmaceuticals-do show up to one degree or another in breast milk, but that substances with a shorter half-life will also exit the system more quickly. In the case of psychedelics and breastfeeding in humans, we have little to go on. Because it’s unethical to recruit mothers to consume any substance with an unknown effect on fetuses and babies, researchers either rely on observational studies (in which they examine the effects of varied-sometimes unspecified-doses in “natural” or uncontrolled environments), or animal research (which has its own ethical issues and practical limitations). Ingesting Shrooms While Pregnant: What the Science SaysĬlinical research on this topic is extremely limited, as is research on many drugs, herbs, and supplements in the case of pregnant or lactating women. The mothers themselves appear to take less than a usual adult dose during these periods, and there are no published scientific reports of toxicity resulting from these practices. In the study, prolactin levels peaked 90-120 minutes after ingestion.Īccording to anthropologist and executive director of the Chacruna Institute, Bia Labate, Ph.D.-who has done extensive fieldwork among indigenous groups that utilize ayahuasca-some members of the União do Vegetal and Santo Daime communities are known to participate in ceremonies while pregnant and breastfeeding, and even to give their babies extremely small amounts of ayahuasca. and Mexico, have reported to anthropologist Stacy Shaefer, Ph.D., that peyote boosts their breast milk production, and preliminary research seems to back that up: A 1979 study found a four-fold boost in the breastfeeding-associated hormone prolactin with oral intake of mescaline (the psychoactive compound in peyote). Wixárika women, native to present-day southwestern U.S. After consuming peyote, she easily birthed her baby and found her hunger abated and her milk plentiful. A myth associated with the Native American Church says that Peyote Woman was wandering in the desert, alone, hungry, and pregnant. The use of both peyote and ayahuasca by indigenous mothers while breastfeeding is documented.
Indigenous Women, Breastfeeding, and Psychedelics If we know that at least one in seven women who give birth experience postpartum depression, and that maternal mental health affects babies and children-and we also know that psychedelics are of great benefit for some people with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and more-then perhaps the subject deserves a closer look. This question comes at a time when increasing attention is focused on both maternal mental health and on the potential benefits of psychedelic-assisted therapy. Is refusing psychedelic assistance for the entire lactation period really the only choice for mothers? The benefits of breastfeeding are numerous (including boosting a baby’s immunity and gut flora while promoting the mother-baby bond) and most pediatricians encourage the practice for at least six months, or as long as it’s feasible for a nursing pair.
All in all, our scientific knowledge on this subject is extremely minimal, says breastfeeding advocate and registered nurse, Marissa Fratoni: “When it comes to psychedelics and entheogenic plant-based medicine in regards to women’s health, the unmet needs for research are astounding.”īut a breastfeeding or chest-feeding journey can last two or more years per child-even up to three or five years per child for those who practice extended breastfeeding-and mothers of multiple children may find themselves pregnant and/or lactating for a decade or more. And while some animal studies have found adverse effects of using psychedelics during pregnancy, none have examined these compounds’ effects during the breastfeeding period alone. We have very little knowledge on the volume of psychedelic compounds that reach breastmilk, and what, if any, effects these compounds might have on developing brains and bodies. Wait until you’ve weaned your baby is the most common advice for inquiring mothers on discussion boards about psychedelics-and it’s a reasonable recommendation.
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