Matrescence & Psilocybin for New Mothers Is Not Radical. Ignoring Them in Research Is - Amanda Wilde Research

From The Dr. Random podcast · 01:16:05

Show by Dr. Sarah Laverone

In this episode of the Dr. Random Podcast, host Dr. Sarah speaks with Amanda Wilde, Harvard biology researcher and founder of Wilde Research, an independent organization focused on maternal health. Amanda shares her groundbreaking research on matrescence, the profound developmental transition women undergo when becoming mothers, and how psilocybin may hold transformative potential for postpartum care. - What matrescence is and why it deserves the same developmental recognition as adolescence - The MINDS framework: Matrescent Integration via Neuroplasticity, Dyads, and Psilocybin - Why the mother-baby dyad should be the central unit of postpartum care rather than treating mother and infant separately - The neurological changes in the maternal brain, including shifts in the default mode network, salience network, and reward network - Why intrusive thoughts during postpartum are developmentally normal and not automatically signs of pathology - How cultural pressures, consumerism, and lack of community support contribute to postpartum anxiety and depression - The ongoing longitudinal study enrolling postpartum women to gather the first non-anecdotal data on psilocybin use during the postpartum period - Why postpartum women have been excluded from psychedelic clinical trials and the ethical case for ending that exclusion Resources and People Mentioned: - Wilde Research: wilderesearch.org - Amanda Wilde on Instagram: @mermandawilde - Amanda Wilde email: [email protected] - Dana Raphael, anthropologist who coined the term matrescence in 1975 - UC Davis 2025 mouse study on postpartum psilocybin and lactation - University of San Francisco self-reported psilocybin study (referenced) - Michaela de la Micho, Mothers of the Mushroom Womb community - Compass Pathways and Epic Biosciences (synthetic psilocybin research organizations) Chapters (00:00:02) - Introduction to Amanda Wilde(00:01:40) - Defining Matrescence and the MINDS Framework(00:04:49) - The CORE Framework and Phenomenology of Motherhood(00:06:13) - Current Psilocybin Postpartum Study Overview(00:09:08) - Amanda's Personal Journey: NICU and Psychonaut Beginnings(00:12:37) - Spiritual Connection and the Mother-Baby Bond(00:15:06) - Defining a Psychonaut and Subjective Experience(00:19:01) - Neuroscience of the Maternal Brain and Postpartum Reality(00:22:12) - Intrusive Thoughts and the Normalcy of Matrescence(00:26:21) - Resentment, Bonding, and the Spectrum of Postpartum Experience(00:30:44) - Breaking the Taboo Around Postpartum OCD(00:32:58) - Why the Mother-Baby Dyad Should Be the Unit of Care(00:36:52) - Cultural Pressure and the Push for Simplicity(00:41:16) - Mental Labor, Stuff, and Simplifying Motherhood(00:44:41) - Ethics of Excluding Postpartum Women from Psychedelic Trials(00:47:17) - Mouse Studies vs Anecdotal Human Evidence(00:50:09) - Study Design, Safety, and Stopping Rules(00:52:55) - Grief, Loss, and Psilocybin's Role in Healing(00:54:54) - Data Collection and Narrative Interviews with Mothers(00:56:40) - Unsupervised Use, Safety, and Honoring Indigenous Practice(01:01:18) - Reimagining Maternal Care: Matrescence Index and Support Systems(01:04:46) - Building a True Village for New Mothers(01:07:38) - Future Research Goals and the Vision for Psychedelic Care(01:09:33) - Message to Mothers and Addressing Religious Concerns(01:14:15) - Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Amanda

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