how many children do you have?
two
how many pregnancies have you had?
2
how old were you when you gave birth?
32 and 37
what are your childrens' ages?
6 1/2 yrs, 9 months
did any of those end in early release? (miscarriage, still birth or abortion?) if so, can you share a little about those experience?
No
what surprised you about the mushroom journey?
To degree to which it has been helpful. I've been surprised at the sheer volume of insight and healing that microdosing has brought about!
Protocol & Dosing
with psilocybin, what has been your dosing experience?
microdose (.1 - 1 gram), mid dose (1-3 grams)
how long did you dose for?
three months or more
if microdosing, what size would you have? (.1 - 1gram)
.15g
in what form were you ingesting the mushroom?
powdered
how often did you dose?
protocol -- following a set regimen
if you were on a protocol, what protocol did you follow?
Both Fadiman and Stamets protocols
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 didn't microdose before my pregnancy; only during and after.
why did you choose to ingest mushrooms during your pregnancy?
I took a couple of mini doses during my 2nd pregnancy to connect with the baby I was carrying, and to connect with my husband. I also wanted the medicine to allow me to release anything that I was ready to let go of energetically before the baby was born.
what benefits did you notice in your pregnancy?
A deeper connection with my baby, husband and older child.
After Birth & Breastfeeding
why did you choose to ingest mushrooms after you gave birth?
A few different reasons - to support my mental health during the challenges of mother hood (e.g sleep deprivation). Also to help me to connect more deeply with those around me and the universal consciousness. To support my healing journey - processing past traumas and healing my inner child.
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?
a) There are so many! In a nutshell - I felt that my mental, emotional and spiritual health really benefited because the medicine helped to support my healing journey, bringing me more peace. I believe that this helped me to be a more present, connected and calm mother. b) It's hard to say, but on an intuitive level I feel sure that he has benefited. He's an incredibly content baby and just seems so at peace, and I think this is at least in part due to the medicine and all of its benefits.
did you notice any challenges to a) yourself b) to your baby and what were the benefits when ingesting mushrooms while breastfeeding?
The only challenge I found was that sometimes the medicine would highlight areas that needed healing. These things ultimately needed to be brought to light and worked on, but processing them was sometimes challenging at first.
Parenting
what benefits did you notice in your parenting that you attribute to the mushroom?
There have been several occasions where I have felt unphased by challenges moments, allowing me to stay calm and hold space for my children when they have been struggling.
what were the unwanted effects or challenges of ingesting mushrooms while parenting?
Only as I mentioned before - sometimes the medicine highlighted areas that needed to be worked on. Sometimes becoming aware of these things brought some initial emotional discomfort to begin with.
what benefits have you noticed about your children that you attribute to the mushroom?
Calm, content, more connected. I think they feel better understood too.
