I know a few people who are doing exactly that. All older/middleaged, none with children.
One has been on the waiting for a Gender Identity Clinic appointment since 2018 and one in a different area got seen more quickly, so is already on hormone therapy and the surgical waiting list (paused due to Covid, has to wait until urgent/life saving/pain relieving surgeries are dealt with before anything else happens).
It means only using the chosen name in all circumstances - work, personally, on official documents - and adopting what The Clinic will deem appropriate female clothing and appearance all the time as well.
So they have grown their hair long and had highlights - apparently, despite having a moderate level of male pattern hair loss, they would be viewed as being 'more dedicated' to make the change to natural hair rather than a wig.
They've lost a lot of weight so that their waist measurement is low enough to fit small size women's clothing.
They feel that in order to be taken seriously and not refused treatment when they eventually get an appointment, they have to wear feminine clothing at all times - which means the outdated Office Appropriate wear of knee high skirts, blouses, court shoes, tights and carry a handbag whilst wearing makeup every day.
Where they have a hobby that isn't necessarily seen as traditionally feminine (which is bollocks, it's the same as mine), it's been suggested that they don't mention the fact that they do this whilst wearing sensible footwear. Or at all unless asked about it.
It all sounds a bit shit, really - to access an appointment, they have to conform to other men's notions of what a woman should look like and behave with no support for the entire waiting period with the underlying fear that they could get there, having been subjected to threats/violence from men, insults and abuse from anybody (seen that happen) and deal with all that involves, only to be told 'you aren't womanly enough, do it better and come back next year'. And because they've requested this referral, they're not able to access counselling, IAPT or any other support - it's as though the attitude is 'depressed? Oh, that'll be your gender identity, so we won't/can't help with that? Traumatised from an assault when your workplace was robbed? Oh, that'll be your gender identity, which is outside the counselling team's remit. Anxious - Covid, being assaulted, having drunk men shout at you as you're waiting for a bus on a Saturday afternoon, maybe even not being anxious but potentially developing thyroid issues when you look at the weight loss, hair loss and rapid heartbeat? Ah, that'll be your gender identity, no blood tests necessary and no, you won't be prescribed anything to help with the symptoms because we won't even check if it's a physical thing'.
In fairness, some of this is probably living more as a woman than anticipated - the 'it's all in your head, dear, do try and pull yourself together' is very much a woman's experience in Medicine, as does the having to second guess male intentions 24/7 - and the sense that Men will be judging if you're good enough.
I think in some ways the longer wait has almost tempered their emotions in that whilst they were very angry about 2-3 years in and everything was about how badly they were being treated, solely because of their identity and appearance and anger about how laser treatment for facial hair wasn't quickly available until I asked them if they knew it isn't even available at all for me on the NHS even though I'm none too impressed by what my chin and neck produces overnight either , the last time some random had a go at them at the supermarket for not getting out of the way fast enough, their response was 'Suppose the best bit about that was he called me a stupid fucking woman. Still a twat, though'.