Dropping a breast feed - advice please

[weezb]

DD is 11 months old. I'm b/feeding her at 7am, 11am, 3pm, 7pm and waking her up for a feed at 11. Feeds are pretty quick. Am expressing at work (I'm part time) and would like to drop the 11am feed soon. Question - do I have to introduce formula or can I give her a cup of water and a rice cake/fruit which I'm giving her already? Then when I stop the afternoon feed at 12 months can I do the same? Apart from ringing NCT I don't really have anyone to ask.

I think babies up to 12mths should be having approx. 16oz of milk a day (one breast is supposedly about 4oz). This can include other milk sources though -ie. milk on breakfast cereal or in sauces/puddings, yoghurt etc.

Yeah I know they are sposed to be having about a pint a day but partner is suggesting formula - but I'm not listening coz I'm not going down that road. She has plenty of cow's milk, cheese and yog - praps I'M BEING A BIT WORRY-ISHY. Whoa capitals.........

I'm sure she's getting loads of milk, I'm sure you can drop a feed without any problem. I would absolutely not give formula now - you'd be introducing it, then using it for a month! Why bother?

I think you could give her some cow's milk as a drink, for one feed a day, without any trouble, if you really felt the need.

Oh, and if you can, avoid giving a bottle, use a cup. Just another thing you'd have to stop anyway.

Thanks - yes, deep down I'm sure she's getting enough milk and I have thought about giving her just one drink of cows milk a day. Won't introduce formula and have never given her a bottle. Just bypassed the whole bottle thing and gave her a cup at 5 months and she loved it.