Made redundant on mat leave, became SAHM by default, pregnant with second (and final) child, struggling with accessing funded childcare hours for eldest...

I was illegitimately made redundant while on maternity leave in 2024. This is not a sob story but for context- traumatic birth in 2023 and spent time regaining strength and confidence- then 6 months of legal battle with redundancy situation through spring/summer of 2024.

I then chose not to focus on finding the next job ASAP but to stay home looking after my first child with the intention of having another in the not too distant future. The idea of starting a job to become pregnant soon after seemed too daunting after a very tumultuous time with last place of work when it came to being treated fairly as a new mother.

Cut to- I am due my second and final child in February 2026. My first is over 2 and I believe would really benefit from attending nursery a couple times a week- anytime from now but it would probably benefit both of us for them to be attending from at least when the next baby arrives.

It is not possible for our household to access funded childcare hours without me being in work. We are not eligible for Universal Credit. Our household income is 26k (husband's salary). Paying for childcare would cripple us.

Any ideas on how I could meet the working criteria despite being 6 months pregnant? Does anyone have experience of what happens once you have your baby in this kind of scenario if you have been able to access funded hours?