2nd child

[Ptica]

I am the main breadwinner and we have already 3 years old. I started to think about having the second as I will be 40 this year, so I know time is running out.
I worry more about financial aspect. We struggled a lot when our little one was in the nursery before 30 free hours kicked in.
How do people manage with the childcare having 2? We don’t have any family here and paying the mortgage at the moment. I am all in worries and sometimes I think maybe I am too old for the second (when I think about their education in the future etc.) Any advise from someone who was in the same situation?

Around here you either:
Have a big gap
Have family/friends do childcare
Have a magic job that allows compressed hours (and TTO and a great maternity package of course)
One parent gives up work or does evenings/weekends only once you have the second.

A second isn't that much more expensive other than childcare, and thats really an optional bill. Its the third that needs a bigger car thats more expensive!

To raise something non-financial... next year is probably a good time to have a second anyway, its great to be on Mat Leave as eldest starts school. Part time or delayed starts, multiple meetings etc bit of a nightmare with childcare if you are working.

In my situation I changed jobs and worked evenings and weekends so my husband (who worked during week days) could be with the children. We never had any help from anyone else, we live very far from both our families.