The women behind the
No Taboo Mom Project
"But behind all your stories is always your mother's story, because hers is where yours begins."
Ewa Gillen
Born 1985 | Mother of Milou | Polish Berliner
I was born in Poland and shaped by the world. Over the past two decades, I’ve lived, studied, and worked across Germany, Canada, Australia, and Spain—earning a Master’s degree in Creative Industries and building a life around stories, strategy, and design. In 2014, I founded my own creative studio, chasing bold ideas, collecting moments, and crossing milestones with my husband by my side. Life was clear. Linear. Controlled.
Then came Milou.
Becoming a mother changed everything—not just my body, but my lens on the world. The birth of my daughter cracked me open in ways I never expected. I emerged into motherhood through trauma: a birth injury, postpartum depression, surgery, and a long road to recovery. It was a dark awakening. I discovered how little I truly knew about my own body, how much of our reality as women is hidden behind silence or half-truths. I was not prepared. And that unpreparedness was not my fault—it was systemic.
No Taboo Mom was born from that rupture.
Together with Julia, who shares both my friendship and my fire, we created a space to speak the unspeakable. A place for honesty. For stories. For change. We want our daughters to grow up in a world where womanhood is met with dignity, knowledge, and support—not shame or neglect. No Taboo Mom is our answer to the sugar-coating. It’s where real stories inspire real change.
Motherhood gave me purpose—but it also gave me a mission. I remain a creative leader, a strategist, and a storyteller and designer. But I am also a mother, a woman, and a witness. And I believe the world must do better. I’m starting here.
Julia Kolbe
Born 1986 | Mother of Ida & Elsie | German
I used to be always on the move—restless, curious, dancing between cities and continents. Life was a patchwork of adventures, friendships, and late-night stories. I trained and worked as a psychiatric nurse, witnessing life from its rawest edges. But when I met my husband and later became a mother, something shifted. Not just in circumstance—but in rhythm. For the first time, I found stillness.
Motherhood arrived in two distinct chapters: one in the clinical setting of a hospital, the other in the quiet strength of my own home. These births showed me both the limits and the beauty of our medical systems—and how deeply women’s needs are often overlooked or silenced. As a healthcare professional, I had seen the cracks. As a mother, I felt them.
This dual experience pushed me to learn more. I recently earned a Master’s degree in Health, Nursing, and Medical Education with a focus on Nursing Pedagogy. My mission is to bridge knowledge and empathy—to teach with both facts and feelings, and to give future professionals the tools to care for women more holistically.
No Taboo Mom was born from shared frustration and shared fire. When Ewa and I met, we quickly realized how many untold stories lived in the spaces between our experiences. We created this platform to bring those stories to light—to speak freely, to connect deeply, to remind each other we’re not alone.
Through No Taboo Mom, I want to keep learning, keep growing, and keep showing up—for my daughters, for myself, and for the women who don’t yet have the words.
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to this meaningful project. Special thanks to our husbands, Benjamin and Robert, for their unwavering support, and to Shannon, Constance, Ashley, and Golnaz for their invaluable assistance with this initiative.
