dropping milk feeds during weaning

[louise987]

I'm probably overthinking this but everyday I end up questioning myself!

My 8 month old DD is eating well with 3 meals a day and a snack. I am still BF and what I am unsure of is when to drop feeds, as she does not appear to want her usual mid morning or afternoon feed unless I offer it to her. Should I continue to offer these feeds or should I allow her to drop them?
Current routine is:

0630- wake and BF
7am - breakfast
9am - BF (me offering)
1200 - lunch
1400 - BF (me offering)
1600 - BF (occasionally if she demands it)
1700 - dinner
1830 - BF and bed

At the back of my head I am thinking that I go back to work in 6 weeks so it may be a good thing for her to drop them but I'm not sure.

She drinks water from a cup at mealtimes so hopefully it getting enough liquid but it's the general calories/nutrition from breastmilk I'm worried she's not getting. Am I overthinking this and should I just feed when she wants it?!

Personally I would be only feeding her when she wants it and concentrate on getting her calories via food, however someone will prob come along and tell me I am wrong. For what it's worth as soon as my dd was having 3meals a day she only had milk when she woke up, when she when to bed and sometimes mid afternoon.

I agree, given that you're going back to work and she's not asking for those feeds, I'd drop them over the course of a couple of weeks. Offer a snack instead. I bf both of mine to 14 months, and the number of feeds dropped of gradually as they lost interest in them and upped their intake of solids.

Drop the ones she doesn't want. But give her an opportunity to ask and be mindful that she may need extra fluids.

Don't worry about going back to work, she sounds like she'll be adaptable.

We dropped down to three feeds in anticipation of me going back to work and then kept that up for a while but then we settled in to a bit more of a natural routine on my days off.

Thanks all! That's really reassuring. It's a weird mix of emotions, sad that she doesn't need me as much but proud of her increasing independence!
Hopefully my milk supply will adjust soon!

I could have written your post myself! My 8.5 month old has also started dropping feeds. He eats three meals per day and drinks water, and currently breastfeeds first thing, mid-morning (often uninterested unless to facilitate a nap as he feeds to sleep), late afternoon (generally wants this), bedtime and on a good night twice overnight. He appears to have dropped his post-lunch feed unless we're at home (in which case, again, it may facilitate a nap).

I'm also going back to work soon so, to be honest, it would suit me if he took less during the day as long as he doesn't start reverse cycling and feeding all night long. Today I left him with DP for eight hours and he took two feeds of around 70 ml each in addition to his meals, which really isn't that much, though DP thought we should probably try offering a little more to see whether he would take it. I also think we could replace the mid-morning feed with a drink and a snack in a few weeks' time.

I know what you mean about the weird mix of emotions! I plan to express once during my working day so am hoping my boobs adjust fairly quickly.