All of the above! I'd also like to say something more about nurseries. I don't know at what age you are planning to send your offspring, but not all of them have baby units - many only start at 2.

If you are looking for a place in a baby unit, start looking now and get your name down for a few as soon as possible. You'll find that places most often come up at the start of September, with a few in January, as the oldest children move on to school and every one else moves up a step. Get the Lewisham list referred to by Jane2 - and contact other councils for their lists, if you are near the borders. There are "community" nurseries, which are run and subsidised by the council, and heavily in demand, especially if they are any good, like Gumboots in Southwark, and all the rest are private.

I'd really recommend choosing a nursery where the children are split by age under 1, 1-2, 2-3 and 3-4, rather than being 0-2 and over 2, because the difference between their development is huge.

And finally, as ever, you generally get what you pay for. When I was looking, I saw a really terrible nursery in Crofton Park, which has now, mercifully, been closed - but it was really cheap!