how many children do you have?
two
how many pregnancies have you had?
4
how old were you when you gave birth?
first: 21 second: 27
what are your childrens' ages?
7 and 12
did any of those end in early release? (miscarriage, still birth or abortion?) if so, can you share a little about those experience?
2 - one was an abortion due to not being in a good place, followed by a miscarriage 4 months later.
what surprised you about the mushroom journey?
how I would be fully connected to the spiritual realm! I just sought relief and then was pushed into the world of spirit, which took a few years to learn how to navigate and have appreciation for.
Protocol & Dosing
with psilocybin, what has been your dosing experience?
microdose (.1 - 1 gram), mid dose (1-3 grams), full dose (3+ grams), high dose (6+ grams)
how long did you dose for?
throughout the year, still dosing
if microdosing, what size would you have? (.1 - 1gram)
.15g, .2g, .25g
in what form were you ingesting the mushroom?
whole, powdered
how often did you dose?
intuitively -- as needed
if you were on a protocol, what protocol did you follow?
I dosed intuitively off the bat
did you have any support with dosing?
when did you start ingesting mushrooms?
after i gave birth
Pregnancy
why did you choose to ingest mushrooms before your pregnancy?
I had ingested them recreationally but did not have any ceremonial or intentional framework
why did you choose to ingest mushrooms during your pregnancy?
n/a
what benefits did you notice in your pregnancy?
n/a
After Birth & Breastfeeding
why did you choose to ingest mushrooms after you gave birth?
major postpartum anxiety and existential crisis, I felt disconnected from self and purpose beyond work and motherhood
did you ingest mushrooms while breastfeeding?
Yes
did you notice any benefits to a) yourself b) to your baby and what were the benefits when ingesting mushrooms while breastfeeding?
I felt far more connected to the beauty of the process of growing my child, I felt more at ease and more present with my children, I saw the glimmers in the day to day interactions. My baby felt more at ease as well and would sleep better after nursing on dose days.
did you notice any challenges to a) yourself b) to your baby and what were the benefits when ingesting mushrooms while breastfeeding?
the challenges were work - having to be away from my baby starting at 7 months old, this interrupted breastfeeding but otherwise no challenges.
Parenting
what benefits did you notice in your parenting that you attribute to the mushroom?
being calmer, gentler, sillier. more able to drop into their perspective and have a sense of wonder again.
what were the unwanted effects or challenges of ingesting mushrooms while parenting?
f**n'' capitalism. the pressures of the work schedule and not having a supportive community.
what benefits have you noticed about your children that you attribute to the mushroom?
they feel closer to me, they are able to be closer to me both physically and emotionally than I was with my mother.
Summary
what would you like to say to other mothers & pregnant/birthing people about your own experience?
the mushrooms truly changed my life, and they were brought into my field through the birth portal. find a healthy, loving community to walk with you as you navigate the path, and embrace the multitude of changes and insights that can be gleaned in the mushroom space.
would you recommend this path to other people?
absolutely - so long as they don;'t have severe mental health disturbances and a true lack of resources. those should be addressed first.
