Do Not Disturb: The Inside Story

Comparison is the thief of joy—but motherhood can make the timelines women are measured against feel even louder.

In this episode, Simona speaks with Gillian Orr, award-winning journalist, former Editor-in-Chief of Refinery29 UK and writer of Slouching Towards Bethnal Green. Gillian reflects on building a career in women’s media, becoming a mother at 39, having her role eliminated while she was on maternity leave, moving into freelance work and slowly finding her ambition again.

They talk honestly about the loneliness of maternity leave, why high-powered motherhood so often depends on invisible help, the affluent version of motherhood over-represented in media, the rise and fall of “girlboss” culture, and Gillian’s decision to have one child.
At the heart of the conversation is a simple permission slip: stop measuring your life against other people’s milestones and choose the timeline that is right for you.
In this conversation:

Gillian’s journey from The Independent to launching Refinery29 UK
Career identity after maternity leave
Becoming a mother at 39 and the pressure attached to turning 35
The loneliness that can accompany maternity leave
Why “having it all” usually depends on invisible help
What women’s media gets wrong about affluent motherhood
Choosing to have one child
Losing ambition, finding it again and allowing life to move in seasons
Why comparison and age-based milestones steal joy

Content note: this episode includes discussion of fertility anxiety, pregnancy, prenatal depression, maternity leave and maternal identity.

Gillian’s newsletter:
https://gillianorr.substack.com/

Gillian on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/gillian__orr/

Gillian’s Refinery29 archive:
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/author/gillian-orr

Follow Do Not Disturb:
@donotdisturbpods

If this conversation resonated, follow the show, leave a review and share it with a woman who needs permission to choose her own timeline.
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Anna Hushlak: Why Women Feel Disconnected From Themselves

When did life start feeling like something you were managing rather than truly living?

In this episode of Do Not Disturb, I sit down with Anna Hushlak, author of Turn Yourself On, to explore why so many women feel disconnected from themselves and what it takes to reconnect with their energy, desire, creativity, and sense of aliveness.
We discuss the pressures of modern life, motherhood, burnout, people-pleasing, self-abandonment, and the ways women gradually lose touch with what they actually want.

In this episode, we discuss:
• Why so many women feel disconnected from themselves
• The hidden cost of people-pleasing
• Burnout, exhaustion, and emotional numbness
• Motherhood, identity, and desire
• Reconnecting with your body and intuition
• What "turning yourself on" really means
• Living with more presence, energy, and joy
• Creating a life that feels good from the inside out

Whether you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, burnt out, or simply curious about reconnecting with yourself, this conversation offers a powerful perspective on what it means to feel fully alive again.

Follow Do Not Disturb Podcast:
Instagram: @donotdisturbpods

Follow Anna Hushlak:
@annahushlak

Book:
Turn Yourself On

Follow Simona:
@greeninlondon

Website:
www.donotdisturbpodcast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the advice parents receive is driven more by fear than by evidence?
In this episode of Do Not Disturb, I sit down with economist, bestselling author and mother Emily Oster for an honest conversation about modern parenting, decision-making, risk, and why so many parents feel paralysed by the pressure to get everything right.
We live in an age of more parenting information than ever before. Yet many mothers and fathers feel less confident, more anxious, and more afraid of making the wrong decision.

Emily has built her career by asking a different question:
What does the evidence actually say?
Together we explore how fear has become embedded in modern parenting, why guilt has become almost a default emotion for parents, and how understanding data can help us make calmer, more confident decisions.
This isn’t a conversation about finding the perfect way to raise children.
It’s a conversation about learning to trust yourself when the world is telling you there is only one right answer.

In this episode we discuss:

Why parenting feels more overwhelming than ever
Pregnancy advice versus evidence
Vaccines, risk and making informed decisions
Screen time, phones and children’s independence
Why modern parents feel so guilty
Raising resilient children rather than perfectly protected ones
How data can reduce anxiety instead of creating it
What confident parenting actually looks like
Whether you’re expecting your first child, raising teenagers, or simply trying to navigate modern family life with more confidence, this episode offers a thoughtful, evidence-based perspective on one of the biggest responsibilities we’ll ever have.

About Emily Oster
Emily Oster is a professor of economics at Brown University, bestselling author of Expecting Better, Cribsheet, The Family Firm and The Unexpected, and founder of ParentData. Through her books, research and writing, she has helped millions of parents make informed decisions by translating complex evidence into practical advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hiba Siddiqui: The Truth About Postpartum Recovery

Why are women expected to prepare for birth, but not for what comes after?

In this episode of Do Not Disturb, I sit down with Hiba Siddiqui, founder of The Tenth Wellness, to discuss postpartum recovery, maternal health, motherhood, and the realities of healing after having a baby.

We explore the physical, emotional, and identity shifts that many women experience after birth, why postpartum care remains overlooked, and what mothers actually need during the fourth trimester and beyond.

This is a conversation about recovery, support, expectations, and giving women permission to prioritise their own wellbeing.

In this episode, we discuss:
• What postpartum recovery really looks like
• Why so many mothers feel unsupported after birth
• The physical and emotional impact of the fourth trimester
• Pelvic floor health, healing, and recovery
• Identity shifts after becoming a mother
• Why maternal care needs to change
• Asking for help and accepting support
• Building a healthier motherhood experience

Whether you're expecting a baby, navigating postpartum, supporting a new mother, or simply interested in women's health, this episode offers an honest and refreshing perspective on one of the most important and overlooked periods in a woman's life.

Follow Do Not Disturb Podcast:
Instagram and TikTok: @donotdisturbpods
www.donotdisturbpodcast.com

Follow Simona:
@greeninlondon

The Tenth
https://thetenthwellness.com/lander?utm_source=chatgpt.com
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Mimi Ikonn: Motherhood, Ambition & Choosing Yourself

What happens when the life you've worked so hard to build no longer feels aligned with the person you're becoming?
In this episode of Do Not Disturb, I sit down with entrepreneur, author, and mother Mimi Ikonn for an honest conversation about identity, ambition, motherhood, marriage, and the courage it takes to keep choosing yourself through every stage of life.

We explore the invisible shifts that happen after becoming a mother, the pressure women feel to be everything to everyone, and why success often looks very different once children enter the picture.

This isn't a conversation about having it all. It's a conversation about deciding what actually matters.
In this episode, we discuss:
• How motherhood changed Mimi's relationship with ambition
• The hidden mental and emotional load many women carry
• What a "good mother" really looks like
• Marriage, partnership, and evolving together
• Reinventing yourself without losing yourself
• Why choosing yourself is not selfish
• Building a life that feels aligned with who you are today

Whether you're building a career, raising children, navigating a relationship, or quietly questioning the path you're on, this episode offers a thoughtful perspective on growth, identity, and modern womanhood.

If this conversation resonates, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who might need to hear it.

Follow Do Not Disturb Podcast:
Instagram: @do.not.disturb.podcast

Follow Mimi:
@mimiikonn

Follow Simona:
@greeninlondon

Mimi's book:
Choose Yourself

www.donotdisturbpodcast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.