Hi Tulip! I was in this situation almost 10 years ago (After marrying a Brit and emigrating from Australia) and I am afraid to say that you may be struggling to find a funded PhD place until you have lived (and worked/paid tax) here for many years and hence have British Residency. It makes no difference that you are married to a Brit apparently - but they may have changed the rules by now! I know that I had to prove that I had paid tax for several years before I was able to get a Research Council Funded studentship. (BBSRC for me). My advice is do what I did - find work as a research assistant/technician - I did two years at two different labs and have publications from both. Unfortunately, the UK universities ignored my experience, and I had to get a Masters to get a PhD studentship (even though I had a 2:1, 4 years experience and 3 papers!!) Good luck! (I am only just now writing up 9.5 years after arriving in the UK)

HI! I got pregnant in my final year of a lab PhD (quicker than I thought!!) The first trimester was tough - brain turned to mush and lab work went tits-up. But it got better in the 2nd trimester and I was back on form for finishing my project. I was lucky to get funding before my grant ran out but was looking for a part-time job within 2 months of sprogging owing to the depression of being stuck at home watching daytime TV!! I also needed cash to pay for structured childcare, to get some thesis done. I am lucky insomuch as my husband is a handson dad and his shift pattern means that he is home with baby alot went I am at work. He certainly likes spending time with Sproggo more than me - couldn't do it full time as would go mad!! Thesis is coming along now that sproggo is sleeping through.You burn 6 months having a baby but if in write-up time, your CV will not suffer!! My younger, Male colleagues have only just finished, so I am only a few months behind them!! Hope this helps HR.