ENTHEOGENIC

EARTH MEDICINE
ASSISTED
MOTHERHOOD

A COMPASSIONATE GUIDE + RESOURCE

BY .:MIKAELA:. @MAMADELAMYCO
CURATED BY WOMEN ON PSYCHEDELICS
 DISCLAIMER

While we do not condone or promote illegal

activity, we see the need for ongoing and
accurate education and safety support in
preparation for the potential legal changes
ahead. Mystic Jasper uses a sovereignty and
community care approach to promote
wellbeing. Mystic Jasper does not provide
illegal substances. All content and
information on this guide is for
informational and educational purposes
only and does not constitute medical advice.

This article is meant for educational use

only, it is not medical advice. Please use this
information at your own risk and if this
would help a friend or family member,
please be sure to share so with this in mind.

x
 chapters
C O M P A R I N G E N T H E O G E N S T O
I P H A R M A C E U T I C A L S A S
G E S T A T I O N A L A I D S

O N L Y T H E D O S E M A K E S T H E
II P O I S O N

E N T H E O G E N S D U R I N G
III P R E G N A N C Y : S A F E T Y
I M P L I C A T I O N S

IV E N T H E O G E N S D U R I N G
P R E G N A N C Y : P O T E N T I A L
B E N E F I T S

V H O N O R I N G T H E M E D I C I N E S O F
T H E S O U T H : A Y A H U A S C A , P E Y O T E
A N D K A M B O F O R M O T H E R S

C A N N A B I S : A M O T H E R ' S
VI M E D I C I N E ?

W H Y C O N S I D E R I N G
V11 E N T H E O G E N I C E A R T H
M E D I C I N E M A Y B E Y O U R P A T H
ABOUT THIS GUIDE

Research for this guide comes from a number of medical

journals, anecdotal experiences, and plant medicine
advocates. Articles that highlight the benefits, as opposed to
the harms of using plant medicines as a gestational aid, are
extremely limited.

Birthing people all over the earth have already made the
decision to take a plant path. These people face walking
forward seemingly alone, often facing criticism from the
medical community and even their families.

The purpose of this guide and free resource is to lay the

groundwork for a more sympathetic view of integrating
earth medicines with the entire female reproductive process,
from gestation to postpartum and breastfeeding.

The thoughtful use of these entheogens for their healing

qualities during pregnancy has been revered in indigenous
culture for centuries, but has yet to be thoroughly studied by
the western sciences.

Ultimately, this guide serves to educate and share resources,

and is not intended as medical advice. We must move with
caution and internal guidance when making decisions about
our unborn children.

1
 I

COMPARING
ENTHEOGENS TO
PHARMACEUTICALS AS
GESTATIONAL AIDS
A SHIFT FROM PHARMACEUTICAL DRUGS

In medicine, doctors and prescribers often lower medication

doses during pregnancy and throughout the postpartum
period to ensure the safety of the unborn. We’ve discovered
that opioids, SSRIs, and other antidepressants and anti-
anxiety medications cross the blood-brain barrier and cause
harm to children and yet, according to the CDC, 9 in 10
pregnant women take medications. In these cases, it is
common practice to simply lower the dose or continue with
using these medications at full dose because, “In some cases,
avoiding or stopping a medicine during pregnancy may be
more harmful than taking that medicine.” (CDC)

If we are talking about major mental health problems that

can only be managed with pharmaceutical medication, then
all respect and adoration for that process. However, due to
the risks to children, especially in the presence of the
aforementioned drugs, a full-blown shift in mental and
emotional health options will be required for some families.

In these families, a complete divorce from prescribed

medication and arrival to home-grown, community-
centered, straight from the earth medicines will be the
liberating and more effective option. To which, there is a
vast community of families standing with you as you walk
into this choice.

2
UNDERSTANDING TOXICITY IN THE NATURAL
WORLD

When it comes to psychedelics and pregnancy, we

acknowledge that all earth medicines have the possibility to
support or to harm without proper use and proper dosage.
The toxicity of any chemical material (organic or inorganic)
can be measured in the following ways:

1. Developmental toxicity - Fetus: mortality, growth

retardation, skeletal variations, gross external
malformations, soft tissue/internal organ defects

2. Reproductive Toxicity - Female or Male parent: general

toxicity, effects on fertility, reproductive organ changes,
Offspring: effects on viability, sex ratio, growth, behavior

3. Carcinogenicity - Tumor development and general toxicity

4. Neurotoxicity - Behavior, function, and motor activity

deficits; microscopic nervous tissue changes

5. Mutagenicity - Heritable lesions leading to altered

phenotypes

3
These categories are important to note because fear around
them dictates the attitudes we carry. The fears of toxicity
and bodily harm to the fetus are the primary deterrent that
pushes families, especially mothers, away from partaking in
earth medicines through their gestation and postpartum
experience.

Nearly all of the entheogenic earth medicines (such as

Cannabis, mescaline-containing cacti like Peyote and San
Pedro, psilocybin-containing fungi like psilocybe cubensis,
LSD, and DMT-containing brews like Ayahuasca) carry very
low toxicity levels when compared to other pharmacological
chemicals used in pregnancy (such as opioids and anti-
depressant medications).

The benefits of consuming the above entheogenic earth

medicines through the birth experience are yet to be proven.
However, little to no short or long term damage to the body
of the mother or the fetus has been recorded in the scientific
literature or traditional wisdom systems when these
substances are used correctly.

In building the argument for the safe use of entheogenic

earth medicines through gestation, we would like to
introduce some plants and fungi that have been used in
obstetrics historically. These routinely used plant and fungi-
derived medicines have proved to be far more toxic than any
of the medicines we are advocating for, and yet, have had
their place in the birthing world.
4
 II

DOSIS SOLA FACIT

VENENUM

'ONLY THE DOSE MAKES

THE POISON’
HISTORICAL USE OF POISONOUS PLANTS AND
FUNGI IN THE BIRTH WORLD

Entheogenic earth medicines, including poisonous ones,

have been used in folk magic and midwifery for all aspects
of the birth experience. Obstetrics is no stranger to
integrating seemingly harmful plants and fungi into
pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.

ERGOT

Ergot is a fungal body that grows on contaminated rye

wheat. This fungal ancestor of LSD was a rather
controversial yet highly effective means of progressing labor
and relieving pain. According to From Poisoning to
Pharmacy: A Tale of Two Ergots in the American Society for
Microbiology, “Despite its aggressive and deadly symptoms,
midwives began making use of ergot as early as the 1500s,
following a key observation that pregnant sows fed ergots
entered premature labor… [the dose of three intact ergots
harvested from a local field] was later shown to contain
about 0.5 mg of the utero-active alkaloid ergometrine,
which is what obstetricians later used in the 1970s.”

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In 1868, ergot was adapted to treat another medical
condition: migraine headaches. The active ingredient for this
treatment, ergotamine, was purified in 1918 and its use in
this context remains widespread.

The risks of ergot were said to outweigh its benefits and

ergot was phased out as medicine in obstetric practice.
However, Albert Hofman, Swiss chemist, drew from the rich
history of this poisonous hallucinogenic fungus to
eventually synthesize LSD which is a commonly used
entheogen today.

OPIUM POPPY

“The “opium poppy”, Papaver somniferum, is a flower from

which opium and poppy seeds are harvested. Opium is used
to make heroin (...) and is also used by pharmaceutical
companies to produce opioids, better known as pain killers.”

“Doctors use morphine, codeine, hydromorphone and

hydrocodone to treat pain after surgery and for chronic
[conditions]. These are all derived from opium – poppies.”
(Other Worldly Oracle)

6
In obstetrics, According to the American Pregnancy
Association, “epidural medications fall into a class of drugs
called local anesthetics, such as bupivacaine,
chloroprocaine, or lidocaine.

They are often delivered in combination with opioids or

narcotics… [such as] epinephrine, fentanyl, morphine, or
clonidine to prolong the epidural’s effect or to stabilize the
mother’s blood pressure.” In small doses, used acutely for a
short duration, opium-based medicines are found to be
highly beneficial.

In an article that studied people who habitually abused the

plant, “the opiates and opioids [were] transported to the
fetus with an impact on human placental function.” Another
found, “Maternal opium use during pregnancy is associated
with increased risks of giving birth to a small gestational age
infant, as well as a term infant with short birth length or
small head circumference.”

These effects would be considered developmental and

neurologically toxic, however, the plant and its derivatives
are still broadly prescribed and used in obstetric practice.

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BELLADONNA

Atropa belladonna or Atropa belladonna, commonly known

as Belladonna or Deadly Nightshade, is a perennial
herbaceous plant in Solanaceae, native to Europe, North
Africa, and Western Asia. The foliage and berries are
extremely toxic, containing tropane alkaloids. These toxins
include scopolamine and hyoscyamine, which cause bizarre
delirium and hallucinations and are also used as
pharmaceutical anticholinergics (InfoGalactic.com)

Belladonna was used to inhibit uterine contractions and is

still used today as an antispasmodic, it was most famously
used in an obstetric preparation known to produce twilight
sleep - this clip is taken from the documentary The Business
of Being Born.

“In 1907, researchers Bernhardt Kronig and Carl Gauss

combined the drugs morphine and scopolamine to induce
twilight sleep in women during childbirth. Physicians in the
early twentieth century in Germany used twilight sleep,
Dammerschlaf, to cause women to enter a state of
consciousness in which they felt no pain and did not
remember giving birth. Twilight sleep was associated with
increased use of forceps during delivery, prolonged labor,
and increased risk of infant suffocation.”

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With the promise of painless births using belladonna
(scopolamine) and opium (morphine), the messy and
destructive practice of inducing twilight sleep was
maintained for almost ten years until the overwhelming
cases of injury and death were too large to ignore.

We seek to attune people to the idea that there is a

precedent in obstetrics and traditional midwifery for proper
dosing and harm reduction when working with any plant or
fungus that could be considered toxic. Simply because a
plant or fungus can be perceived as dangerous to some at
this time, within this paradigm does not mean it is not a
valuable member of our consciousness and body experience.

After reviewing the historical use of poisonous plants and

fungi in obstetrics and midwifery, we raise the question,
“Why would poisonous plants and fungi, with a variety of
known toxicities, be acceptable for use in birth while the
plant medicines and healing fungi, which bear little toxicity,
be highly ostracized and even warned against in pregnancy
and postpartum?”

9
 III

ENTHEOGENS DURING
PREGNANCY

SAFETY IMPLICATIONS
EXPLORING THE SAFETY OF ENTHEOGENS
DURING PREGNANCY

CAN USING LSD HARM A FETUS?

“One early study from 1967 found that there was no

additional deleterious effect caused when using LSD during
pregnancy, and a 1970 study found that LSD use by either
parent before conception did not show any signs of
congenital disability. But, these studies are inconclusive and
must be revisited… However, it should be noted that
psychedelics like mescaline and LSD are known to induce
uterine contractions in animal studies.

For people who experience mental health conditions during

pregnancy, psychedelics could one day be a treatment option
if they are determined to be safe. Many psychiatric
medications are harmful to use during pregnancy, including
common mood stabilizers such as lithium. Once the
research is expanded in the coming years, it could be
possible that low-dose psychedelics are a less harmful
alternative to anti-anxiety or depression medications.

But for now, there is no reason to assume they are safe to

use during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester
when the fetus is in the most critical developmental stages.”
(Beyond Conception: Psychedelics and Pregnancy)

10
IS PSILOCYBIN SAFE IN PREGNANCY? THE
SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE

Before considering if psilocybin use in pregnancy is safe, we

must first determine if psilocybin is a safe chemical for
anyone.

“Psilocybin does not qualify as a highly toxic substance

when one uses traditional measures of acute toxicity such as
the LD 50 (the dose required to kill 50% of experimental
animals, usually rats.) Psilocybin has an LD 50 of
280mg/kg. In comparison, the LD 50’s of LSD, THC (the
active compound in marijuana), and mescaline are
30mg/kg, 42mg/kg, and 370 mg/kg. Thus, when death is
considered as the toxic endpoint, psilocybin is one of the
least toxic of the hallucinogens.” (Shroomery.org)

From Meyler's Side Effects of Drugs (Sixteenth Edition),

2016, “Psilocybin, like other hallucinogens, is not known to
cause dependence, craving, or withdrawal… Psilocybin is well
tolerated and safe for human studies” yet, “we have hardly
any scientific peer-reviewed research on this topic, nor on
mothers ingesting psychedelics during pregnancy or
breastfeeding.” (Chacruna.org)

11
Though there are no human studies of psilocybin impacts in
utero, there is a single animal study of the effects of
psilocybin use in rats on their fetuses. In this study, rats
were injected with 7.5 mg/kg C-psilocin, the study showed
that psilocin readily crosses the placental and blood-brain
barriers of pregnant rats.

Using the C-psilocin rat study to determine the safety of

psilocybin use in pregnant mothers is problematic for three
reasons. Firstly, the route of drug administration was
intravenous, which is abnormal in people who consume
psilocybin: “This method involves injecting the medication
straight into the systemic circulation. However, there are
numerous drawbacks to this method, including giving too
high a concentration of the medication.”

In nearly all cases of psilocybin use, people consume the

medicine orally, and “Drugs which are taken orally have a
high chance of incurring the first-pass effect—also known as
the first-pass metabolism, which refers to the drug
concentration being reduced before arriving at the systemic
circulation.”

All this to say, the study did not exemplify typical

psychedelic mushroom use, which is a primary factor in
determining the safety of psilocybin use in pregnancy by
potentially giving a higher non-metabolized concentration.

12
Secondly, the chemical component studied was psilocin.
Psilocybin is a prodrug of psilocin. This means the prodrug
psilocybin undergoes changes in the body which convert it
into the active form, psilocin is primarily responsible for the
psychedelic effect of magic mushrooms, not psilocybin. The
experiment bypasses the process of converting psilocybin to
psilocin potentiating higher concentrations of the
hallucinogenic compound without reduction due to
metabolic conversion. (PsychedelicReview)

Thirdly, each rat was given a single dose of 7.5 mg/kg C-

psilocin i.v. A 2017 study found that “doses of 0.6 mg/kg [of
psilocybin] are in excess of likely therapeutic doses”. In the
case of this animal study, the rat mothers experienced a far
beyond therapeutic dose of psilocin, which causes problems
when determining regular use and its effects.

The study concluded “that psilocin readily crossed the

placental and blood-brain barriers of pregnant rats. Because
psilocin was eliminated slowly from the fetal tissues of rats,
human consumption of magic mushrooms should be
avoided during pregnancy.” What the study proves is the
presence of psilocin within the fetus, but does not note what
the effects are to the fetus or the mother. When determining
the effects of psilocybin in the developing fetus, this article
can be deemed inconclusive.

13
Overall, there are no published studies on the long-term
effects of using magic mushrooms during pregnancy. At this
time, it’s unknown if magic mushrooms can increase the
chance of pregnancy complications or affect a baby’s brain
or development. So it is important to move forward with
caution and care.

IS PSILOCYBIN SAFE IN PREGNANCY? THE

CULTURAL CONTENT

Because of a lack of scientific research, we can draw only

inspiration from heritages of psilocybin mushrooms used
within the Indigenous communities of Mexico, Afro-
indigenous communities as well as anecdotal stories from
dosing mothers.

Archeologists have found “mushroom stones dating from

3000 BC… in ritual contexts in Mesoamerica”, proving that
humankind has had an evolutionary relationship with these
fungi for millennia. To say that the ancestral use of these
medicines proves their safety in pregnancy would be
misleading. However, during the lifetime of traditional
psilocybin use in Mexico, no precautions or restrictions
around pregnancy have presented themselves, unlike
prescriptions that have arisen around diet and activities
surrounding ceremonial use of these and other earth
medicines.

14
Through myth, we can begin to understand the
corresponding relationship between mother spirits and
hallucinogenic medicines to the ancient people of the
Americas. This is an excerpt from Symbolism and
Psychopharmacology: the Toad as Earth Mother in Indian
America -- this is a video of the Aztec Monolith of
Tlaltecuhtli (Earth Lord)

“Tlaltecuhtli - that is, the earth or earth mother as a

monstrous toad with feline characteristics who, among
other attributes, was the originator of useful plants...
She appears as a mentor of shamans, being herself a great
shamanness, capable of transformation… She is a protector,
mentor of shamans, foster mother, teacher of hunting skills,
regenerator of the earth, bringer of fire and cultivated
plants, etc., on the other hand she is an antagonist who
embodies misfortune, illness and death.

The Earth Mother is one of the few female edutzi, or gods,

but she is clearly of fundamental importance in the
supernatural scheme of things. She is variously known as
Pachamama, a term borrowed from Quechua, or by one of
several indigenous Tacana names…

15
She teaches the first shaman and his female helper how to
prepare coca, how to brew ritual manioc beer, and how to
make the first hallucinogenic snuff which is so essential to
communication with the edutzi and through whose use the
shaman, in his vital role as mediator between man and the
supernatural, enables himself to transcend the limitations of
the human condition and travel freely through the different
planes of the universe…

Why the toad as an agent of transformation, teacher or

helper of shamans, owner of the arts of curing, originator
even of coca and hallucinogens? Why, indeed, the
association between toad and toxic mushrooms? We know
of the "toad-stool" and then folklore that associates toads,
mushrooms and magical transformation in the Old World.

Recent research and a reevaluation of older data indicate

that this other dimension has to do with the toxic properties
of certain frogs and toads, and beyond these, the somewhat
surprising discovery that certain species are not merely
poisonous but hallucinogenic.”

By understanding the cosmologies that weave psychedelics

and motherhood so seamlessly, we can begin to rewrite our
place within that story.

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 III

ENTHEOGENS DURING
PREGNANCY

POTENTIAL BENEFITS
WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF
PSILOCYBIN IN PREGNANCY?

Collectively, we are becoming increasingly aware that the

“psychedelic substance naturally occurring in magic
mushrooms is exhibiting positive effects, successfully
rewiring the brain and forming new networks and
connections.”

Users of psilocybin, including pregnant women, have

experienced increased visual acuity, loss of strict boundaries,
increased sense of connectedness, increased creativity,
access to repressed memories, emotional regularity,
decreased anxiety and so much more.

Could it be possible that these effects are available to

developing fetuses and breastfeeding children? That within
the time of wiring the brain, the presence of psilocybin
could potentiate a mind wired differently, equally valuable
and bright?

We cannot make the recommendation that psilocybin is

beneficial and poses no harm to developing fetuses in this
article, however, I can say that there is a place for psilocybin
within the birth experience, from conception to beyond as
has been maintained in relative secrecy in indigenous
communities.

17
Using our internal guidance system when determining our
right path with integrating these medicines is above all a
personal choice, but truly is one that deserves support,
dignity, and resources.

Some mushroom mothers have reported the following

doses.
0.1 - .5g as a microdose (taken first trimester, during
postpartum, and while breastfeeding)
.5g - 1.5g as a threshold dose (taken second and third
trimesters, during postpartum and while breastfeeding)
1.5 - 5g as a full dose (taken second and third trimesters,
before labor, during postpartum, and while
breastfeeding)
5g+ (taken further into motherhood, on the tail end of
breastfeeding/ weaned, I’ve also heard of women taking
these doses during pregnancy, however, feel this is in
extreme cases and with very experienced entheogenic
mothers)

The mothers reported non-habitual use of psilocybin and

said they noticed a high level of activity, agency, cognition,
responsiveness, and contemplativeness in the children born
from these pregnancies.

For more information and detailed assistance with

personalized education, please reach out for an educational
intake and read this INSIDER article about microdosing
mothers.
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POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION, BIRTH TRAUMA,
AND PSILOCYBIN

Much of what birthing people will label as postpartum

depression are the repercussions of traumatic birth
experiences. A study done on metadata from 532,630
participants found that Cesarean births and Emergency
Cesarean births increase the risk of postpartum depression
along with a variety of other mental and physical damage.

“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provisional

data from 2019 (released May 20, 2020) show that 31.7% of
all births were by cesarean and 25.6% of the NTSV ("low-
risk") population had cesarean births.

Unfortunately, 86.2% of women with a history of a previous

cesarean birth have a repeat C-section, as many hospitals
and doctors offering maternity services do not permit
women with a history of cesarean birth to give birth
vaginally at their facility.”

What high rate of cesarean birth creates is a population of

people who underwent a medical procedure in order to
complete the birth process and there’s a lot to unpack about
that, from feelings of inadequacy to the eventual truth that
the options of birth moving forward will be limited (as very
few hospitals will allow Vaginal Birth After Cesarean).

19
Many birthing people who undergo traumatic birth
experiences face consent issues that can trigger sexual
trauma experiences of the past as well as set foundations for
shame and disgust of their own body and their own ability to
assert agency over their own bodies.

Read this article on how to heal sexual trauma with

mushrooms.

The mothers I talk to regularly who suffer from postpartum

depression unanimously agree that their birth did not turn
out the way they thought it would or in a way that valued
their voice, telling me, these births are now traumas
unresolved and unprocessed. For this, psilocybin can help as
it is an expert medicine when working in reflection,
contemplation, and trauma release.

PSILOCYBIN AND BREASTFEEDING

What most mothers ask when I present psilocybin to treat

postpartum depression as an option is, “But what about
breastfeeding?” Check out this amazing infographic and
words,

20
“Not much literature on lactation and psilocybin. Lots of
information on how it’s metabolized and excreted from the
body. Conclusions… if you want to be conservative, wait 24
hours to feed baby breast again (or pump prior to be sure)
for larger trips. All traces of the drug will be excreted from
the body by this time. When it gets down to microdosing…I
saw one mother explain that she takes hers at 5 am and
waits 5 hours to feed her son.

Research says that breastfeeding infants have detectable

SSRI serum levels (with the use of SSRIs in breastfeeding
mothers), though they say not to have an adverse effect.
Keep that in mind when you're considering what is best for
you… If SSRIs are safe for breastfeeding, it makes the case
for Shrooms as they are a non-toxic alternative to treat
depression.” (@microdosenyc)

The choice is ours to make, but above all, there’s dignity at

every dose, whether a mother chooses for a micro or a
macro, we go about it with caution and care for our children
and with a greater understanding that this medicine is
beneficial and will be proven as such further down the line.

I’d like to venture into more traditional territories as we

move through this conversation, into the peyote and
ayahuasca traditions where there is research and education
around gestation, lactation, and birth.

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 IV

HONORING THE MEDICINES

OF THE SOUTH

PEYOTE, AYAHUASCA AND

KAMBO FOR MOTHERS
PEYOTE AND PREGNANCY USE IN THE
AMERICAS

From a Chacruna article, “The Huichol Indians of Mexico

and members of the Native American Church (NAC) in the
United States and Canada, utilize plant medicines prenatally
or during breastfeeding to help prevent miscarriage, ensure
the maturation of the fetus, and increase breastmilk
production. In fact, the story of a pregnant woman ingesting
peyote is woven into the NAC Peyote Woman mythology,
where a pregnant woman is lost in the desert and starving,
and is called to ingest peyote, which helps her deliver the
child with ease.

22
From Native Mothering, Critical to our discussion of overall
effects from the use of peyote is a small survey of about 60
Huichol natives, 10 of which were reviewed in a laboratory
setting, there was no evidence of an increased occurrence of
congenital malformations (birth defects) despite Peyote use
during pregnancy. “…No significant chromosomal
aberrations were apparent among the peyote- and non-
peyote-using Huichol Indians.” (Dorrance et al. 1975)

In these Indigenous peyote traditions, many women

consume peyote throughout the various stages of their life
cycle. Some even consume peyote during their pregnancies...
(Schaefer 1996b, 2011, 2017) “pregnant women who eat
peyote have very little problems with miscarriage,” and that
“it helps establish the placenta and maturation of the fetus”

Beautiful Flowers: Women and Peyote in Indigenous

Traditions

Mescaline-containing cacti like peyote, also known as hikuri

and San Pedro, also known as Huachuma are among some of
the least toxic entheogens available on planet earth. If we
have the privilege and opportunity to sit with these
medicines during pregnancy and postpartum for healing and
realignment, then we have found ourselves in a very
supported space.

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As a disclaimer, the NAC is an organized religion that has
been highly influenced by Christianity and has begun to
take on the taboos and fears of the religion, so there may be
some prescriptions or contraindications for peyote use
(especially during menstruation). I recommend
organizations like Getting to the Root for inclusive,
accessibly-priced, and non-religious ceremonial medicine
gatherings.

AYAHUASCA AND ITS TOXICITY IN

PREGNANCY

There is evidence of the use of psychedelic plants during

pregnancy among indigenous cultures. Ayahuasca, for
example, can help support lactation and is used occasionally
during pregnancy or in childbirth by indigenous people in
South America.

A single study found, “Delayed intrauterine growth, induced

embryo deaths and increased occurrence of fetal anomalies
were observed at the 8X dose… at non-lethal doses, AYA
enhanced embryo lethality and the incidence of fetal soft-
tissue and skeleton anomalies. This study suggested that
AYA is developmentally toxic and that its daily use by
pregnant women may pose risks for the conceptus.”

24
Keeping in mind that the dose makes the poison, large
ceremonial doses taken daily in the case of pregnancy are
neither necessary nor commonplace. Often, within these
ceremonies, people have the choice of the level of medicine
they receive, so if you or someone you love wants to
integrate ayahuasca into their pregnancy, consult with the
practitioner about dose and frequency.

This is an amazing story shared by a sister who learned of

her pregnancy while in an ayahuasca ceremony.

According to Singing to the Plants “A woman, too, doña

María told me, should not drink ayahuasca while lactating,
for reasons that she did not make clear — only that
ayahuasca should not be in the breast milk. On the other
hand, a woman can drink ayahuasca when she is pregnant,
because the ayahuasca gets into the child and gives it fuerza,
power. The same belief is found among the Shuar: some
women express the belief that a child is born stronger if it
receives the beneficial effects of ayahuasca while still in the
womb.”

Personally, I felt very called to drink ayahuasca when my son

was almost one year old and its presence in my breast milk
did have an impact that prepared him for better sleep and a
greater capacity to communicate with me. As far as toxicity
goes, this medicine is very mild and with the right guidance,
can be an option for mothers who are pregnant and/or
breastfeeding.
25
Keeping in mind that the dose makes the poison, daily large
ceremonial doses in the case of pregnancy are neither
necessary nor commonplace. Often, within these
ceremonies, people have the choice of the level of medicine
they receive, so if you or someone you love wants to
integrate ayahuasca into their pregnancy, consult with the
practitioner about dose and frequency.

This is an amazing story and share by a sister who learned

of her pregnancy while in an ayahuasca ceremony.

According to Singing to the Plants “A woman, too, doña

María told me, should not drink ayahuasca while lactating,
for reasons that she did not make clear — only that
ayahuasca should not be in the breast milk. On the other
hand, a woman can drink ayahuasca when she is pregnant,
because the ayahuasca gets into the child and gives it fuerza,
power. The same belief is found among the Shuar: some
women express the belief that a child is born stronger if it
receives the beneficial effects of ayahuasca while still in the
womb.”

Personally, I felt very called to drink ayahuasca when my son

was almost one year old and its presence in my breast milk
did have an impact that prepared him for better sleep and a
greater capacity to communicate with me. As far as toxicity
goes, this medicine is very mild and with the right guidance,
can be an option for mothers who are pregnant and/or
breastfeeding.
26
KAMBO USE DURING PREGNANCY

Pulled from the article, “A Guide to Increasing Fertility and

Taking Kambo During Pregnancy”

Although Western medicine does not recommend using

Kambo while pregnant, it is worth noting that traditional
tribal use includes two treatments during pregnancy. The
first treatment was during the first trimester to make sure
the pregnancy was viable. The thought process was that if
the fetus was strong and the pregnancy healthy, then the
woman would not miscarry after a Kambo treatment.

The second treatment was towards the end of the pregnancy

and, based on the color and consistency of a woman’s urine
after the treatment, the practitioner could predict the sex
and health of the fetus. Both these treatments involved very
low doses of Kambo applied to the inside of a pregnant
woman’s wrist. However, Kambo still carries a risk of
miscarriage or preterm labor, and its effects on a fetus are
currently unknown.

Later in pregnancy, the uterine contractions caused by

Kambo could possibly induce labor. Once you are at term,
you may be interested in using Kambo to help move the
labor along.

27
In theory, Kambo could be used this way, and as an added
bonus, the analgesic properties of Kambo could help reduce
the pain of childbirth. However, since this has not been
thoroughly researched, it carries an unnecessary risk for
both the mother and the baby.

KAMBO DURING THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD

Another sought-after aspect of Kambo is its ability to help

manage depression. Kambo was traditionally used to treat
“panema”, which translates to a feeling of listlessness,
sadness, depression, general bad luck, or an inability to
focus.

This may be because of the way the medicine causes the

body to release endorphins during treatment or it could be
caused by the peptide adenoregulin, which regulates the
functioning of the hypothalamus and decreases depression
and anxiety. This effect may be of particular interest to
women who suffer from postpartum depression or
postpartum anxiety.

However, it is important to realize that Kambo may pass

through your breastmilk, so you should not take it if you are
breastfeeding" a child under six months. If the child is over
six months, waiting 4-6 hours after ceremony is sufficient to
ensure safety of the breastmilk.

28
 V

CANNABIS
A MOTHER'S MEDICINE?
CANNABIS + SMOKEABLE PLANTS DURING
PREGNANCY

Before the War on Drugs, stigmas and negative stereotypes

of smoking cannabis were often imposed on black people,
especially women. Now cannabis is being marketed to the
mainstream as an “alternative healing medicine” that black
families have benefitted from historically and should
continue to benefit from.

For many suffering from a variety of discomforts throughout

gestation, from nausea to labor pain and postpartum
depression, cannabis serves as a sovereign way for mothers
and families to get a grip on their physical, mental and
spiritual well-being.

Once again, I cannot give medical advice as I am only an

educator, but I can share a safety measure should you
choose to use cannabis while pregnant.

This tip was shared with me by my midwife at Acorn

Birthing and Community Wellness Center, whom I highly
recommend. "The safest way to consume cannabis during
pregnancy is to eat it."

Why you might ask?

29
Smoke inhalation of any kind restricts oxygen to the fetus
and this is ultimately a damaging agent. A birthing person
could not continually deplete the baby of oxygen and hope
everything is going to be okay. If you or someone you love is
treating a condition with cannabis, smoking, especially
habitual smoking of any substance, herbal smoke blends
included, please share this information with them.

PLANT ALLIES + PREGNANCY

According to goddessbreathblends.com, herbs considered

unsafe for heavy use in pregnant mothers include aloe,
chamomile, oregano, passionflower, and uva ursi. Whether
smoked or consumed orally. More on this, here.

Herbs considered not ideal for breastfeeding include

spearmint and peppermint, lemon balm, oregano, licorice,
and uva ursi. Extended list by Earth Mama Organics.

If you are thinking about integrating plants, please speak to

your prenatal care provider.

30
CANNABIS AS A COMPASSIONATE COMFORT
MEASURE DURING LABOR

We are so grateful to present the research of cannabis

researcher and activist, Ethan Russo. In his work, Cannabis
Treatments in Obstetrics and Gynecology: A Historical
Review, Russo details many instances of cannabis use for
pregnancy, labor, and postpartum.

In India, it was reported of Cannabis indica (McConnell

1888, p. 95), “its powerful effect in controlling uterine
hemorrhage (menorrhagia, &c.) has been repeatedly
recorded by competent observers, and its employment for
the relief of such affections is well understood

It is well established that hemp has the power to promote

uterine contractions. It can not initiate them but increase
their energy when action has begun. It may be given with
ergot. In consequence of this power which it possesses to
affect the muscular tissue of organic life, hemp is used
successfully in the treatment of menorrhagia. It is said to be
especially useful in that form of menorrhagia which occurs
in the climacteric period (Churchill). It has, more recently,
been shown to possess the power to arrest hemorrhage from
any point, but it is chiefly in menorrhagia that much good is
accomplished.

31
This agent has also been used with success in the treatment
of gonorrhea. It diminishes the local inflammation, allays
chordee, and lessens the pain and irritation, with
accompanying restlessness.

Hence a woman in labor may more or less have a painless

labor. If a sufficient amount of the drug is taken, the patient
may fall into a tranquil sleep from which she will awaken
refreshed. As far as is known, a baby born of a mother
intoxicated with cannabis will not be abnormal in any way.

More fancifully, Benet noted that in German folk medicine

(p. 46), “sprigs of hemp were placed over the stomach and
ankles to prevent convulsions and difficult childbirth.”

In Cambodia, mothers reportedly use hemp products

extensively after birth (Martin 1975), making an infusion of
ten flowering tops to a liter of water to provide a sense of
well-being. When insufficient milk is present for nursing,
female hemp flowers are combined with other herbs for
ingestion. An alcoholic extract of cannabis and various
barks is said to alleviate postpartum stiffness.

32
In Vietnam (Martin 1975), cannabis seed kernels in a
preparation called sac thuoc are said to cure dysmenorrhea,
or provide a feeling of wellness after childbirth.
“. . . pregnant women should always have some burnt for her
so as to have a completely healthy child.” But it is
particularly during childbirth that “pregnant women were
given dagga to make them brave,” and “so that they wouldn’t
feel pain.”

One available approach to the issues is provided by

examining factors in spontaneous abortions. In a study of
171 women, 25% of pregnancies ended spontaneously within
6 weeks of the last menses. Cannabis exposure seemed to
have no observable effect in these cases (Wilcox, Weinberg,
and Baird 1990).

CANNABIS USE AS AN INDICATOR OF SOCIAL

HEALTH

One 1988 study analyzed “scores on Brazelton Neonatal

Behavior Assessment Scales (BNBAS)... for babies whose
mothers used marihuana during pregnancy and compared it
to a control group. Environmental variables explained
significant differences in BNBAS scores”, according to their
findings.

33
This research was conducted in Jamaica where “many
women are smoking ganja throughout pregnancy, during
labor and into the breastfeeding period”.

They suggest, based on their research, that “the infants were

not significantly different in the groups according to
physical exam data including birth weight and length and
gestational age” when taking into account sociological
factors.

“The community-based field studies and home interviews

reveal that the sharing and smoking of ganja has acquired
social value for many women in Jamaica as an overture and
confirmation of friendship and mutual assistance. Ganja use
correlates with certain status and roles that affects health
and childrearing. The lifestyle of the ganja users suggests a
lively household with many child caregivers, more infant
stimulation and playfulness, and relaxed mothers. They also
have better access to clothes, food, and other resources.
Many mothers believed increases in food intake due to
enhanced appetite resulted from ganja use. In their view, it
relieved nausea, permitted them to accomplish childcare
and household tasks, assured sufficient rest, and provided
psychological consolation.

34
Thus, when marihuana is used in pregnancy, culture and
social environment must also be considered when
examining newborn outcomes in Jamaican women. The
differences in infant scores at age 30 days is most likely
attributable to differences in the richness of the
environments. After 1 month in the more stimulating
environments, the babies of the smokers were better
organized in their sleep-wake states, more alert, and better
able to be socially interactive.

These findings indicate that the caregiving environment

may have a greater effect on the development of the infant
than the sole effects of marihuana use during pregnancy.
Therefore in assessing risk, one must take into account
environmental factors.”

35
RISKS OF USING CANNABIS DURING
PREGNANCY - THE SCIENCE

Direct Link Found Between Continued Marijuana Use and

Pre-Term Birth

“International research led by the University of Adelaide has

for the first time shown a direct link between continued
marijuana use during pregnancy and pre-term birth. The
study evaluated data from more than 5500 pregnant women
from Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the United
Kingdom who took part in the SCOPE (SCreening fOr
Pregnancy Endpoints) study. Of those women, 5.6% reported
using marijuana before or during pregnancy.

The results, published online ahead of print in the journal

Reproductive Toxicology, show that once all other major risk
factors have been accounted for, continued marijuana use
through to 20 weeks' gestation is independently associated
with a five-fold increase in the risk of pre-term birth.”

According to the original scientific article, the study found

no link to no other common late pregnancy complications.

New research suggests a link between cannabis and early

developmental problems.

36
“It may be safe to administer small quantities of cannabis at
certain points throughout pregnancy, and opting for a
method other than smoking may reduce the risk of
developmental problems. However, a 2012 study found that
in the very early stages of pregnancy, even slight variation in
endocannabinoid levels could affect embryonic
development.”

This new research indicates that “endocannabinoids alter

genes and biological signals critical to the formation of a
normal placenta during pregnancy and may contribute to
pregnancy complications like preeclampsia. A new study
offers evidence that abnormal biological signaling by
endocannabinoid lipid molecules produced by the body
disrupts the movement of early embryonic cells important to
a healthy pregnancy.”

MODERATION AND MODE OF INGESTION ARE

KEY WHEN CONSIDERING CANNABIS

When we consider cannabis as an option for care during

conception, pregnancy, postpartum and breastfeeding,
mothers and families must weigh out the potential harms to
their benefits. The obvious choice is to reduce harm as
much as possible, and we can reduce harm to our unborn
children by lessening the frequency, the doses of and the
method of consuming cannabis.

37
 VI

WHY CONSIDERING
ENTHEOGENIC EARTH
MEDICINE MAY BE YOUR
PATH
CLOSING THOUGHTS AND ENCOURAGEMENT

Maybe you are a mother considering alternative options for

your mental health care, maybe you have been taking
medications that you feel aren't working for you, maybe
you’ve already had a relationship with these entheogenic
earth medicines and you want to maintain a relationship
with them throughout pregnancy but don’t know where to
go. Maybe you are a birth worker or the partner of a
birthing person looking to service with a nuanced view on
integrating these medicines into health birthing experience.

To you all, I see you and thank you for listening.

I’ve attempted to share a viewpoint of each of the most

common plant and fungi-based medicines as they concern
gestation, postpartum, and pregnancy. This guide is clearly a
compassionate stand, but I hope to have presented enough
resources that tell a story that reaches both sides of the
aisle.

Truly, there are enough articles available that tell mothers,

“just don’t do it”, but this is hardly satisfying for most and
does not answer questions around risk reduction and
resources if minds have already been made.

38
WE CANNOT DO THIS WORK ALONE

Bringing this work to fruition could not have been possible

without the support of Jessika Lagarde, the co-founder of
@WomenonPsychedelics (WOOP). To their team, I am deeply
grateful.

To my many sister-friends and families in the mushWOMB temple

rooms on clubhouse, a profound thanks. It is through their
testimony and wisdom that I derive so much of my research and
my trust in this sacred movement.

To the money folks I've sat for in ceremony, for mentorship and in
friendship, it is for you that I give my life to serve.

The entheogen family network meets privately and publicly to

bring forward what we have learned from our ancestral sciences
for the betterment and advancement of life on earth. We are
advancing the story of our earthly family with the help of these
medicines.

Do not be afraid. You are the evolution.

In safety and inner standing,

Your sister Mikaela

39
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iv
 ENTHEOGENIC
EARTH MEDICINE
ASSISTED
MOTHERHOOD
Mikaela is originally from Los Angeles
- occupied Tongva territory. Now living
in San Diego - occupied Luiseno,
Cahuilla, Cupeno, Kumeyaay, and
Northern Diegueño territory.

She is a mother, a friend to many, an

educator, artist, ceremony facilitator,
entrepreneur and activist centering
entheogenic motherhood, womb
sovereignty through yoni steaming in
the ma’at tradition and ancestral
veneration.
MYSTICJASPER.COM
@MAMADELAMYCO

Women On Psychedelics (WOOP) is a growing

global community of female psychedelic
enthusiasts and professionals that believe in the
transformative potential of psychedelics.

They work towards the normalization of these

substances and the end of the stigmatization
around women’s mental health and women’s
drug use.

WOMENONPSYCHEDELICS.ORG
@WOMENONPSYCHEDELICS