How to afford living with two children in London!?

[Londonmamabychance]

I've just this week found out I'm expecting my second child. DD is 19 months. Am of course pleased, but now extremely worried about how to make ends meet and where to live. We currently live in a 1-bed, both of us work (I've got Friday's off, but otherwise will time) and DD goes to nursery.
Now, we can't afford to move to a 2-bed and keep DD in nursery, not during maternity leave, and not emblem after I go back to work, as then the new baby would need full time daycare. At that point DD will be 3 so entitled to the 15 free hours of daycare, but that's not enough to mean we can afford to have two kids in nursery. In my understanding, a nanny for both of them will be cheaper than nursery for them both, but still, it will be v expensive. perhaps we can afford both in nursery or a nanny if we stay in a 1-bed, but, and I know this sounds rally spoiled, given that many purple are struggling much more, but how do you mane with two kids in a 1-bed? Anyone doing it and have advice to offer? Or ideas for cheaper childcare? We have no family around.

I'm starting to wonder if the best option is for me to give up work, but I like working and am worried about the long term implications of leaving my career. Don't want to leave he area we are in, as DD is so happy in her nursery and all my friends are here, plus if we moved further out (are in zone 2, East, now) then DH would have to spend so long travelling to work in central London that we would hardly see him, as. It is he's home around 7.30 - 8 most days.

I feel so trapped in this situation, really want to enjoy being pregnant and looking forward to the new little one on the way, but all these worries are stressing me out so much! Childcare policies in this country are mad! And so are house prices in London. Grrrr

...it's just being foreign and not having any family here, friends are v import at to me

I do understand your dilemma. I'm also not British and friends, like you, are very important to me. Of course any big change like that involves losses as well as gains. But to me having more living space is super important. I would never even consider living in a 1 bedroom flat with 2 children although I appreciate others have different priorities, if I had a choice.

I have found the 2 moves we did (as i said: first to zone 3 / then to zone 5) very positive. I absolutely made new friends but also kept in touch with some of the old ones as much as possible (distance does make that hard in some cases as do jobs / children but it's doable). I found that people were moving away anyway. That is the reality of London. Every year yet another friend would move out of London / or to the other side of London, you'll find that this happens more & more as you connect with other parents. It's something you have to accept living in London, sadly.

Having said that there's much more a sense of community in my zone 5 area than the previous areas, just because prices here are for now fairly reasonable so people move less.