Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms)
Everyday exposureAlcohol, tobacco & drugsAlso called · 6 names▾▴
psilocybin mushrooms, magic mushrooms, shrooms, caps, buttons, psilocybin
Recreational substance
General information · effects depend on amount, timing, and how it is used. About these sources
- Tea
- Capsule/tablet
- Other
Research strength: 1 / 5
MotherToBaby reports that studies have not determined whether magic mushrooms affect the chance of miscarriage, birth defects, preterm delivery, or low birth weight. A 2026 scoping review found no eligible human pregnancy outcome studies for psilocybin in the literature it searched through March 2025. In a rat study, researchers found that psilocin crossed the placenta after a single intravenous dose; the study measured drug distribution, not pregnancy outcomes. MotherToBaby gives no trimester-specific findings, and the review found no human outcomes to compare by stage, so effects in early pregnancy cannot be estimated. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Sources
- MotherToBaby: Psilocybin mushrooms (Magic Mushrooms)Teratology service
- Albert and Arthur, 2026: Psychedelic exposure in pregnancy, a scoping reviewUS government
- Law et al., 2014: 14C-Psilocin tissue distribution in pregnant rats
Research strength: 1 / 5
MotherToBaby reports that studies have not determined whether magic mushrooms affect the chance of miscarriage, birth defects, preterm delivery, or low birth weight. A 2026 scoping review found no eligible human pregnancy outcome studies for psilocybin in the literature it searched through March 2025. In a rat study, researchers found that psilocin crossed the placenta after a single intravenous dose; the study measured drug distribution, not pregnancy outcomes. MotherToBaby gives no trimester-specific findings, and the review found no human outcomes to compare by stage, so effects in mid-pregnancy cannot be estimated. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Sources
- MotherToBaby: Psilocybin mushrooms (Magic Mushrooms)Teratology service
- Albert and Arthur, 2026: Psychedelic exposure in pregnancy, a scoping reviewUS government
- Law et al., 2014: 14C-Psilocin tissue distribution in pregnant rats
Research strength: 1 / 5
MotherToBaby reports that studies have not determined whether magic mushrooms affect the chance of miscarriage, birth defects, preterm delivery, or low birth weight. A 2026 scoping review found no eligible human pregnancy outcome studies for psilocybin in the literature it searched through March 2025. In a rat study, researchers found that psilocin crossed the placenta after a single intravenous dose; the study measured drug distribution, not pregnancy outcomes. MotherToBaby gives no trimester-specific findings, and the review found no human outcomes to compare by stage, so effects in late pregnancy cannot be estimated. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Sources
- MotherToBaby: Psilocybin mushrooms (Magic Mushrooms)Teratology service
- Albert and Arthur, 2026: Psychedelic exposure in pregnancy, a scoping reviewUS government
- Law et al., 2014: 14C-Psilocin tissue distribution in pregnant rats
Psilocybin (Magic Mushrooms) — Breastfeeding
Research strength: 1 / 5
MotherToBaby reports that magic mushrooms have not been studied during breastfeeding and that effects on a nursing child are unknown. In a 2025 mouse study, researchers detected psilocin in nursing pups' brains after the mothers received psilocybin, but did not detect unchanged psilocybin. The study also found disrupted maternal care and lower adult preference for a sweet drink among pups exposed through nursing, a measure of reduced pleasure. These animal findings do not establish human milk levels or effects in human infants. Human evidence is insufficient to estimate effects during breastfeeding. Ask your provider about your situation.
Last reviewed: 2026-10-16
Pregnancy
MotherToBaby reports that studies have not tested whether magic mushrooms affect miscarriage, human birth defects, preterm delivery, low birth weight, or a child's later learning or behavior. A 2026 scoping review searched human studies through March 2025 and found no eligible primary human pregnancy outcome studies for psilocybin. Law et al. (2014) gave 15 pregnant Wistar rats one 7.5 mg/kg intravenous dose of radiolabeled psilocin and measured tissue radioactivity; psilocin crossed the placenta, but the study did not measure pregnancy outcomes. A 2026 in-silico model assessed 250 psychedelic or related compounds and predicted that most could cross the human placenta; it did not observe human pregnancies or child outcomes.
Breastfeeding
MotherToBaby reports no studies of magic mushrooms during breastfeeding and no human milk-transfer data. Hatzipantelis et al. (2025) studied postpartum mice given 2 mg/kg psilocybin by intraperitoneal injection on postpartum day 7. In a separate lactation pharmacokinetics experiment, psilocin was detected in nursing-pup brains at 30, 60, and 120 minutes after reunion; unchanged psilocybin was not detected. Five dams were included in this experiment. In the adult behavior study, offspring reared by psilocybin-treated dams showed lower sucrose preference, and direct psilocin exposure in pups produced a similar result. The paper also reported disrupted maternal care. These animal findings do not measure human milk concentrations or establish effects in human infants.
MotherToBaby describes psilocybin and psilocin as hallucinogenic components found in certain mushrooms. Mushrooms may be eaten fresh or dried, brewed as tea, added to food, or taken as a capsule.
What was tested
The 2026 scoping review searched five human-study databases through March 2025 and found no eligible primary human pregnancy outcome study for psilocybin; it did not conduct a formal risk-of-bias assessment. The 2014 rat study measured radiolabeled psilocin in maternal and fetal tissues after one intravenous dose. The 2025 mouse study examined maternal care, psilocin in nursing-pup brains, and later behavior in offspring; its lactation experiment used five dams and its dosing and outcomes are not human data. The 2026 placenta-permeability study used an in-silico model, not pregnant people or pregnancy outcomes.
We found no disagreement between the sources checked.
Not enough research found yet.
Not enough research found yet.
- MotherToBaby: Psilocybin mushrooms (Magic Mushrooms)Teratology serviceSecondaryPage dated 2025-04-01
- Albert and Arthur, 2026: Psychedelic exposure in pregnancy, a scoping review to inform perinatal drug safety and clinical counselingUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Law et al., 2014: 14C-Psilocin tissue distribution in pregnant rats after intravenous administrationPrimaryIndependent check
- Hatzipantelis et al., 2025: Psilocybin during the postpartum period induces long-lasting adverse effects in both mothers and offspringUS governmentPrimaryIndependent check
- Sobańska et al., 2026: In-silico study of potential fetal exposure to psychedelic drug analoguesUS governmentPrimary
Last reviewed 2026-10-16
Independent check 2026-10-16
Not yet clinician-reviewed
Ask your provider about your situation.