Ready or Not

When Kath Carlin finally decided to stop trying for a second baby, part of her was kind of relieved. The journey had been arduous, and privately, she felt like she was only meant to be a mum of one. She wasn’t quite sure she was allowed to say it out loud, but she wasn’t sure she even wanted a second baby. 

And then, she fell pregnant naturally. But her journey wouldn’t end there. There’d be a potential diagnosis on the cards, but ultimately, she would lose that baby, too. After that, she was done with trying and now, a year and a half later, she couldn’t be happier to be the mum of one child. 

It’s surprising to me that in 2025, this is still a pretty unique story, and here, we explore why. Where does that pressure to have multiple kids come from? How does she feel all about it now?

Here, we explore this and so much more, including her incredibly successful career as a makeup artist and the hilarious birth story that wasn’t the red carpet plan she had in mind.

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Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.

You can also find us on Instagram:

@readyornot.pod

@laurentreweek_

@lucindamckimm_

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This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

We Pay The Rent and you can too.

This month, Ready or Not is proudly brought to you by Yoto. Use our discount Code: READYORNOT15 for 15% off your Yoto device [not to be used with any other offer, valid from 1st May - 5th June.]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Witching Hour – the show where two mums and sort of cousins figure out how to make work, work. Today on the show:

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Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.

You can also find us on Instagram:

@readyornot.pod

@laurentreweek_

@lucindamckimm_

— 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We Pay The Rent and you can too.

This month, Ready or Not is proudly brought to you by Yoto. Use our discount Code: READYORNOT15 for 15% off your Yoto device [not to be used with any other offer, valid from 1st May - 5th June.]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Ask Ready or Not! It’s Ready or Not’s tip-based episode, landing in your ears every Friday.

Today, Loz is unpacking the pressure around Mother’s Day and the myth of “having it all.” She’ll share ways to feel valued, practical gift ideas that actually matter, and how to set boundaries so you’re not left doing it all.

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Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.

You can also find us on Instagram:

@readyornot.pod

@laurentreweek_

@lucindamckimm_

— 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

We Pay The Rent and you can too.

This month, Ready or Not is proudly brought to you by Yoto. Use our discount Code: READYORNOT15 for 15% off your Yoto device [not to be used with any other offer, valid from 1st May - 5th June.]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After experiencing the stillbirth of her firstborn, baking became a sort of therapy for Monique Milenkovic. She’d left her corporate job to go on parental leave, her calendar was clear, and with no baby in her arms, her life took an unexpected life altering turn. 

That direction would lead her to The Cupcake Queens – her thriving business with eight stores and a delivery service across Melbourne. 

But if growing her business wasn’t stretching her enough, after the loss of her son Nicholas, she’d go on to have a further five children. 

And you might be wondering how – I know we sure were – but you’ll learn quickly, as we did, that Monique takes it all in her stride. She doesn’t sugar coat it, she’ll tell you it’s hard to navigate motherhood and business, but she’s also a glass half full type of woman. And so, this conversation was incredibly uplifting, and with so much devastating news permeating the news cycle, I think we could all use something uplifting right now. So let’s hear from Monique. 

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Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.

You can also find us on Instagram:

@readyornot.pod

@laurentreweek_

@lucindamckimm_

— 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

We Pay The Rent and you can too.

This month, Ready or Not is proudly brought to you by Yoto. Use our discount Code: READYORNOT15 for 15% off your Yoto device [not to be used with any other offer, valid from 1st May - 5th June.]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Witching Hour – the show where two mums and sort of cousins figure out how to make work, work. Today on the show:

 ⁠'Passenger parenting' isn’t a joke — even if TikTok thinks it is.

•⁠ ⁠⁠Michelle Andrews is receiving a little negativity in her DMs about returning to work and what we want to know is, do people have the right to comment on someone else’s return to paid work? 

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Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.

You can also find us on Instagram:

@readyornot.pod

@laurentreweek_

@lucindamckimm_

— 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We Pay The Rent and you can too.

This month, Ready or Not is proudly brought to you by Yoto. Use our discount Code: READYORNOT15 for 15% off your Yoto device [not to be used with any other offer, valid from 1st May - 5th June.]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Ask Ready or Not! It’s Ready or Not’s tip-based episode, landing in your ears every Friday.

Today, Loz shares her go-to school holiday hacks for keeping the kids entertained without losing your mind (or spending a fortune). From screen-time swaps to realistic routines and low-lift outings, this one’s for any working mum trying to make it through the chaos of winter break without screaming into a pillow.

—

Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.

You can also find us on Instagram:

@readyornot.pod

@laurentreweek_

@lucindamckimm_

— 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

We Pay The Rent and you can too.

This month, Ready or Not is proudly brought to you by Yoto. Use our discount Code: READYORNOT15 for 15% off your Yoto device [not to be used with any other offer, valid from 1st May - 5th June.]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What Chloe Cox talks about today might just be the bravest thing anyone’s ever shared on this show. After the birth of her first daughter, she was hallucinating. There was a toy dog in the room where she fed and it was telling her that she’d never be able to get her daughter to sleep, that she was a terrible mother.

She was going about her day looking like a mum who was thriving. She attended a mother’s group and kept up appearances. But as night fell, she was in a world of pain and confusion. 

Here, we talk about how she got through that time, the beauty of the age gap between her two girls, the power of the positive postpartum and return to work that came with her second, and the importance of shared parental leave.

This is an incredible story, told from someone who’s as kind and funny as she is brilliant and honest.

Find her on Instagram here.

This month, Ready or Not is proudly brought to you by Yoto. Use our discount Code: READYORNOT15 for 15% off your Yoto device [not to be used with any other offer, valid from 1st May - 5th June.]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is brought to you by Go-To Skincare! Our code READYORNOT will get you 20% off your order over $AU85 at gotoskincare.com!

Welcome back to Witching Hour – the show where two mums and sort of cousins figure out how to make work, work. Today on the show:

• The bereaving mum that had her maternity leave cancelled via text.
• Plus, if you sometimes hate your postpartum body, it’s not you, it’s the media. Let me tell you why.
• You can read Lu’s postpartum Substack piece here.

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This episode is brought to you by Go-To and their Very Luxe Face Cream. Clinically proven to increase skin firmness and elasticity, and strengthen the skin barrier function, this game changing cream is available to shop now at gotoskincare.com. Plus, enjoy 20% off all orders over $AUD85 made via gotoskincare.com with the exclusive promo code READYORNOT at gotoskincare.com!

—

Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.

You can also find us on Instagram:

@readyornot.pod

@laurentreweek_

@lucindamckimm_

— 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land. We Pay The Rent and you can too.

This month, Ready or Not is proudly brought to you by Yoto. Use our discount Code: READYORNOT15 for 15% off your Yoto device [not to be used with any other offer, valid from 1st May - 5th June.]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome back to Ask Ready or Not! It’s Ready or Not’s tip-based episode, landing in your ears every Friday.

Today, Loz is talking about why the end of the financial year is the perfect moment to check in on your career goals. She shares how to reflect, reset, and realign with what you really want—whether it’s a promotion, more flexibility, or a total career pivot. If you need a motivation boost, don’t miss this one.

—

Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.

You can also find us on Instagram:

@readyornot.pod

@laurentreweek_

@lucindamckimm_

— 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

We Pay The Rent and you can too.

Welcome back to Ask Ready or Not! It’s Ready or Not’s tip-based episode, landing in your ears every Friday.

Today, Loz shares her go-to school holiday hacks for keeping the kids entertained without losing your mind (or spending a fortune). From screen-time swaps to realistic routines and low-lift outings, this one’s for any working mum trying to make it through the chaos of winter break without screaming into a pillow.

—

Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.

You can also find us on Instagram:

@readyornot.pod

@laurentreweek_

@lucindamckimm_

— 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

We Pay The Rent and you can too.

This month, Ready or Not is proudly brought to you by Yoto. Use our discount Code: READYORNOT15 for 15% off your Yoto device [not to be used with any other offer, valid from 1st May - 5th June.]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is brought to you by Go-To Skincare! Our code READYORNOT will get you 20% off your order over $AU85 at gotoskincare.com!

Lu found Charley Vokoun on Instagram via her glorious Instagram account, Book Smut. It’s a place where she shares all the books she’s reading with her engaged, book loving followers, and as one of those followers, it was incredible to later learn that it was a psychologist that influenced her to start the page. She was navigating recurrent miscarriages, and sharing her poetic reviews and bookish adventures became a way to cope and navigate it all. 

Here, we talk about that very emotional rollercoaster and what it was like to meet her baby after such an intense period, the hardest part of navigating motherhood and career, her reflections on trying to let go of control, and how she’s learned to advocate for herself in her male dominated industry. Plus, we get all her bookish tips!

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This episode is brought to you by Go-To and their Very Luxe Face Cream. Clinically proven to increase skin firmness and elasticity, and strengthen the skin barrier function, this game changing cream is available to shop now at gotoskincare.com. Plus, enjoy 20% off all orders over $AUD85 made via gotoskincare.com with the exclusive promo code READYORNOT.

—

Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please tell your friends, subscribe or write a review.

You can also find us on Instagram:

@readyornot.pod

@laurentreweek_

@lucindamckimm_

— 

This podcast was recorded on the lands of the Boon Wurong people of the Kulin Nation. The land on which we're lucky enough to raise our sons and daughters always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

We Pay The Rent and you can too.

—

Very Luxe Face Cream means business.*

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*Based on a 12 week clinical trial of 30 participants.

Serious business.**

•Over 95% of participants said their skin felt smoother and tighter.

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•100% of participants said they noticed a more even skin tone.

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**Based on a 12 week clinical study of 30 participants.

This month, Ready or Not is proudly brought to you by Yoto. Use our discount Code: READYORNOT15 for 15% off your Yoto device [not to be used with any other offer, valid from 1st May - 5th June.]

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.