dtopping feeds in preperation for work?

[NippyDrips]

Ds is 7.5 months an still breastfeeds on demand. That,is usually about 6 times a day! He is a bottle refuser and I have given up on that,avenue.

He starts nursery in the am in 4 weeks time, I will be around in the afternoons, then when I return to work 3 weeks after that it will be for 4 full days.

I am planning on trying to convince ds cutting down breastfeeds from next week to just am, mid afternoon, bedtime and two during the night as usual . Then when I go back to work dropping the mid afternoon one too.

He has 3 meals a day and I am working on the sippy cup so he can have some fluids in the day. I don't mind carrying on with the night feeds.

Does that sound enough? Will it work?

I have posted a similar thread before about him bottle refusing but hadn't thought about cutting out feeds.

I was really worried about similar when my DD started nursery at 6 months. Mostly she just made up for feeds in the afternoon and evening, and then weekends bf on demand as normal, gradually decreasing as she got older (she's 2 now). Sippy cup and bottle were similarly to your situation not successful, but I and nursery staff managed to get her drink directly from a cup, which sufficed enough to keep her hydrated during the day.

There are quite a few threads on this topic, possibly I started one 1.5 years ago! Bottom line is don't stress too much if its not all aligned perfectly for the start. Nursery staff are quite used to supporting this. You'll likely find they'll help achieve some amazing things with baby that baby will never do at home (e.g., nap - pat to sleep, eat vegetables, potty train)! But you're thoughtful and smart to start preparing baby now. Good luck.

Mine chose to refuse milk at nursery and just catch up when with me. She would drink water from a cup. So no need to force a drop in feeds in the run up to returning to work unless you want to. It will be fine!

Thank you for replying.

I guess what I am worried about is that if ds usually has a mid morning feed, when he gets to nursery he will be expecting it and then get upset when he can't have it? I am imagining my poor baby crying all day wanting a breast feed that he can't have.