How many hours a week do you do? I am thinking seriously about applying for next year but would only have 3 or 4 days of childcare a week. Is that enough if I am super-motivated and prepared to do some reading in the evenings and at weekends? I also have quite a lot of research experience, have some academic publications under my belt already and write for my job so hope to be able to hit the ground running. Also the topic I am planning is very closely related to an area I have worked on for a few years now - I work in the cultural sector - and I have a lot of contacts for fieldwork etc.
I guess I am comparing myself to friends who did PhDs straight from undergrad degrees when they spent quite a lot of their time learning to write and research. But I may be deluding myself. Cold doses of realism more than welcome! If I waited until the following year, DD2 would be at school and I would have more (though shorter) days each week.