How many BF's a day is sufficient for my 9m/o?

[Writerwannabe83]

DS is still BF and has 4 feeds a day spread out between his three meals. He also has 2oz of milk with his breakfast and drinks water really well and will have between 10-12oz a day.

I return to work in three weeks and have previously posted about not being able to BF whilst at work apart from once first thing in the morning.

My original plan was to do that one feed for the 3 days I will be working but continue to feed 4 times a day on my days off. However, I'm now starting to rethink things and am considering altering my BF pattern to just feeding once in the morning and once before bed. I would like to do this ASAP do it is established before I return to work and DS is used to it.

My question is, is two BFs a day enough if the rest of the day he is drinking water and having 2-3oz milk on his cereal.

He doesn't like the taste of formula although to be honest I would prefer not to give it anyway.

I did consider expressing to give him one drink of EBM a day but I find it so difficult to get anything out these days I just can't see it happening.

I have posted before about offering a drink of full fat milk and the response was generally saying it was fine.

I'm just worried that reducing to two BFs a day will somehow cause harm. On two days a week it means DS will only have one BF a day as I won't be home before his bedtime.

I'm also worried that dropping to 2 feeds a day may cause problems with my supply.

Does anyone have any advice?

[Littlef00t]

Does he refuse milk in a bottle or sippy cup? My dd is nearly 10 mo and dropped her mid morning bf at 8 mo, so is having 7am, 4pm and 7pm at the moment. When she starts with cm she'll be offered sippy cup with milk 3 days for the afternoon feed.

Personally I'd be offering milk at least once during the day in addition to the 2 bfs.

[Littlef00t]

Regarding milk choice, I'm giving premade bottles of formula to cm.

[Littlef00t]

Sorry just seen he doesn't like formula. Have you tried a few different types? I've heard the premade bottles taste nicer because it's not so processed.

I think you are likely to be ok with supply with am pm feed, but definitely drop the two day feeds gradually to save your boobs!

[museumum]

My ds refused bottles. I went to work two days when he was 6mo, building up to three days. At first I bf morning, 4pm and bedtime but by 9mo I was feeding morning and bedtime and by ten months it was morning only and he had a small drink of formula in a cup at bedtime.
We just made sure he gad lots of yoghurt and cheese in his diet and porridge made with full fat milk.

[Writerwannabe83]

My DS had had EBM via a bottle on three occasions which he took fine but I haven't tried him with cows milk as a drink.

I feel much more reassured reading these posts though that BF'ing isn't the be all and end all at this age and that I can start dropping them. I would also like to start dropping his two daytime feeds so I don't have to worry about expressing when I return to work.

I bought a new sippy cup/beaker for DS today so I will try him with some cows milk tomorrow and see what happens