Whether it’s nursery fees that cost more than a mortgage, spending more than £60,000 on childcare alone or the heartbreaking compromises women are making on a daily basis, we’re being crippled by childcare costs in this country. In reality, 30 hours of free childcare isn’t getting parents very far – especially as you can’t apply for it until your child is 3. Here, 20 women tell us exactly how much they pay and how the excessive prices have affected their lives.