I WISH I had kids earlier. Reading a Sydney Confidential piece last week on Ricki-Lee Coulter speaking about not wanting to be a mum sent shivers down my spine. I adore Ricki-Lee so this is not a piece to be negative about someone for whom I have a lot of respect.

Rather, this is a warning of sorts, a “please reconsider” perhaps, to the thousands of 20-somethings who decide they don’t want kids but may change their mind and find it is too late down the track.

That’s the position I’m in.

Ricki-Lee does a lot for young women.

She is a positive role model to many and her social media is full of strong vibes promoting a healthy body and healthy lifestyle.

media_camera Bianca Dye and partner Sean O'Shannassy.

But last week, Confidential’s story from a Ricki-Lee radio interview sent me into a deja-vu spin out.

She said she and her partner don’t want to have kids.

She’s said she isn’t keen on being a mum because she doesn’t want them to have the same upbringing she endured with a young mother whofarmed her out (her words) to whoever could look after her while she lived the life of an 18-year old.

The deja vu stuff starts but doesn’t end there for me.

media_camera Marty Haynes and Bianca Dye media_camera Ricki-Lee Coulter and Richard Harrison.

I had a similar childhood.

I too was farmed around to family — to grandparents and nanny’s — while my parents lived the dream life on the social scene. There was a time I too wasn’t that keen to procreate for fear of repeating my parents’ history.

BUT ... I changed my mind.

Ricki-Lee has said: “You never know, I might turn 40 and go, ‘come on let’s pop one out’.”

It doesn’t work that way, trust me.

RICKI-LEE SAYS NO TO MOTHERHOOD

RICKI-LEE DANCES THROUGH THE PAIN

At 28, I travelled the world interviewing the biggest-name stars — from Madonna to Richard Branson. I was interviewed for magazines and they would always ask when I was going to have kids.

media_camera Ricki Lee-Coulter. Picture: Instagram

I would get cranky and flustered. I’d say, “maybe never”.

A decade later I changed my mind and it’s been a long and hard road since. I’ve been through a number of failed IVF rounds and I’m still going.

I won’t give up yet.

I’ve had two miscarriages and put on 12kg from the hormones they’ve pumped into me. I’m begging Ricki-Lee — I wish I had of thought about this more at her age.

My advice?

Freeze your eggs now Ricki-Lee, while you can.

Technology these days is amazing and the chance of embryo survival is much better than it used to be.

I was cocky and thought I had all the time in the world.

The sad reality of women’s fertility is that your clock is ticking and “popping out” a baby at 40 isn’t that easy.

media_camera Bianca Dye. media_camera Ricki-Lee Coulter and Richard Harrison.

It’s more common than ever for celebrities to have babies later. But when they do interviews, rarely do they mention it was an “assisted” pregnancy, or, in Sonia Kruger’s case, it was a donated egg.

Please ladies, make sure you do your research. I’m sure anyone going through IVF rounds at my age would agree. It isn’t a walk in the park.

Bianca Dye is a breakfast radio host at i98FM. Follow her fertility journey on Instagram & Twitter @biancadye