About depression and anxiety during pregnancy or in the year after giving birth. If untreated, a mother who has these conditions has a , overall poorer health, impaired bonding and nurturing of her infant, and a .
But a new treatment moving through the may be key to treating, or even curing, depression and anxiety in postpartum people. It is a newly named psychedelic, . It functions like psilocin, the psychoactive chemical within psilocybin mushrooms. It may be able to positively affect the unique hormonal shifts, brain changes and disconnection that can lead to these conditions like no existing treatments.
In , researchers have observed rapid improvement in symptoms – and sometimes a cure after a single dose – of conditions such as . In a recent of luvesilocin, we found similar .
I was the site investigator for the University of Colorado, one of . The study enrolled 84 postpartum women who were within a year of giving birth and ended in May 2025.
I have spent my career as a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist contemplating . I have also followed the psychedelic data closely. I’ve been eager to find evidence-based pregnancy and postpartum applications of psychedelics, given these drugs’ promise in treating .
Depression and anxiety’s impact on moms and babies
One drug that has been studied and enhanced our understanding of the way psychedelics work is , which is commonly known as ecstasy and causes a euphoric high.
According to peer-reviewed research published by in 2024, MDMA can lead to improvements in individuals . Other improvements resulting from MDMA assisted therapy include more self-compassion and a broader desire and capacity for connection with others.
Connection, especially the earliest one between a mother and infant, plays one of the most significant roles in providing the . Postpartum depression is often defined by .
Children born to have a higher risk of falling behind on early developmental milestones. They may also have behavioral concerns, such as , and are more likely to withdraw from social activities. They tend to report somatic complaints, such as .
Children of mothers who had depression or anxiety during pregnancy are also at risk of these same conditions as they . They have of these conditions compared to teenagers whose mothers did not have untreated depression and anxiety. This pattern means . But this with adequate treatment and support.
Increased were found by researchers in the blood of depression study participants who were given MDMA, and , which are all psychedelic drugs. The led to more feelings of trust, empathy and connection.
Oxytocin is a hormone produced in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus and is released from the pituitary gland into the bloodstream. It plays a and . It also aids in the wiring and formation of .
Oxytocin is important in . Conversely, early childhood stressors, such as a mother suffering from mental illness, reduces oxytocin levels in children. This may be a contributor to later in life.
In depression studies that involved men, psilocybin did as other psychedelic medications on oxytocin production. But there is reason to believe that oxytocin may play a greater role in postpartum patients because it’s levels are than in other phases of life.
FDA study of psilocybin-like medication
In February 2026, the FDA granted luvesilocin . This status is used to speed up the development of promising new medications for serious or life-threatening conditions. The drug received this status because our research found in those who received the treatment.
, 77% of postpartum women who received a psychedelic dose, 30mg of luvesilocin, had significant improvement in their postpartum depression. Overall, 71% had no symptoms of postpartum depression seven days after the psychedelic session.
The purpose of an is to determine the effectiveness of an experimental medication on a particular disease or condition. In this case, the study is evaluating luvesilocin’s effect on postpartum depression scores and symptoms. In the group that received the placebo, a microdose of the drug, more than half experienced an improvement in their symptoms, but most still had some symptoms after seven days.
These are than trials of the existing medications used for postpartum depression treatment. Existing treatments include , known as SSRIs, and a . The latter is the only medication to have specific .
Access to psychedelic treatments
In 2023, the the . It offers a legal pathway for people to receive natural psychedelics, such as psilocybin mushrooms, in therapeutic settings. The first opened in early 2026. Some locations advertise treatments for everything from .
. Numerous other states have different pathways toward legal psychedelic-assisted therapies and decriminalization of . Nationally, there was a recent federal executive order to accelerate . The order included mention of the use of psychedelic therapies.
Looking forward
By the end of 2026, for postpartum depression is slated to begin. Phase 3 trials are conducted to the overall risks and benefits of a new medication. Each phase is an before a medication can be approved and available in clinical settings.
In Phase 3, 200 participants with postpartum depression will be recruited across participating sites. While I’m optimistic about the potential of this research, I believe its value can be established only through rigorous blinded clinical trials, objective data analysis, and conclusions and approval that are fully supported by the evidence.
Phase 3 will also include participants who are still breastfeeding. A study of in healthy volunteers demonstrated very low levels passed from the mother into breast milk. Thus, this medication would be considered safe for breastfeeding.
Luvesilocin may become a game-changing postpartum depression treatment medication in just a couple more years. On a much larger scale, psychedelic medicine could elevate our , replacing systemic cycles of depression, anxiety, trauma and isolation with connectedness and compassion. These drugs could literally rewire our approach to trauma, addiction and how we relate to one another.
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