Help - baby still feeds 5 times a day

[JacqueslePeacock]

and is starting nursery 4 days a week in less than a month!

He's nearly 11 months and I had thought he'd be winding down naturally by now, but no - he still has morning feed, AM nap feed, PM nap feed, late afternoon feed and bedtime feed, plus 1 or 2 feeds at night. I'm happy to carry on with morning and bedtime feeds but what do I do about all the others? I know he can have cow's milk from 1 year but just swapping all those breastfeeds for cups of cow's milk seems a bit brutal, especially at the same time as starting nursery, not least because he still feeds to sleep for the 2 naps.

I'd be really grateful for any tips or ideas from others who've had this issue. Thank you!

It's unlikely to be as brutal as you imagine, children behave differently at nursery and have different expectations. DS1 was just the same, I sent in expressed milk until I ran out (I struggled to express at that point, so I exhausted my freezer supply) then switched to cows milk. Often though, he wouldn't want his milk at nursery, he ate more solid food than he would at home, and magically, he napped in a cot there without the fuss I normally went through to get him down. Nursery carers will cuddle him to sleep, or take him for a walk in a pushchair, and it is really surprising how the little buggers they adapt and settle in a nursery environment.
I fed in the morning, as soon as I picked him up in the afternoon, then at bedtime and a 3am feed. On the days I didn't work, he continued to nurse as before, so had an extra couple of feeds.

DS3 started nursery at 12 months (admittedly only one day a week) but fed him when I got there and then as soon as I picked him up. He seemed to adapt to the days he was there

He'll be fine just fed before and after nursery - he can have food/water during the day if he doesn't want milk.

Thanks for the reassuring replies!

So did you mix expressed milk with cow's milk for the change over, or just stop expressed and start cow's one day? I am really worrying about how he will manage but, as you say, nursery workers will now how to deal with it I guess. Were there no problems for your milk supply then, if you were able to feed as normal on the days you didn't work?

Thanks again!

He just went straight to cows milk, it was only 1-2 small beakers a day and he was used to it in cereal and stuff. It had no effect on my supply, things are pretty solid after a year. He's 2 now and tandem feeding with his new brother.