Breastfeeding 11mo and starting nursery

[Acornacorn]

My DS will be 11mo when I go back to work and he starts nursery next month.
He eats 3 meals per day and breastfeeds at 7am, 3pm and 6.30pm. He’s just dropped night feeds.
Three days per week I’ll leave the house before he wakes up in the morning (sob!) Will he be okay only having milk at 6.30pm? Or should I try introducing formula (although it’s only one month until I can start introducing cows milk as a drink - or could I start sooner??) or expressing? He doesn’t take a bottle but sometimes takes milk from a cup.
I was planning on dropping the 3pm feed before I go back to work as he never asks for it and while he usually has a good guzzle, he seems fine without it whenever I’ve not been around to offer it.
On the fourth day, I can work from home so I’ll be able to breastfeed him in the morning before taking him to nursery.
Any advice?

DD had bottles of EBM or formula but that was from 8mo. I wondered if she might lose interest or self wean from bf but she hasn't so far. I think in your situation I would introduce cows milk rather than bother with formula. If he's eating well I'm sure he'll be fine, although he might decide he wants to reinstate the night feeds!
24 hours between feeds could be a bit uncomfortable for you to start with, will you be able to express at work?

That’s a really good point about comfort! Hadn’t thought about that! I’ll be able to express at work. Although perhaps I should express in the morning before I leave and then DS can have it freshly pumped.
Is it the milk itself he’s likely to miss or the act/comfort of breastfeeding?

I returned to work to do long days (7-7) when DD was 9 months, at which point she had still been feeding a few times throughout the day. We did a few practice half days before she properly started nursery. I’d send her with one or two of the little ready made bottles of formula (I was rubbish at expressing). She’d never had formula but would take it ok and there were no tummy troubles or anything. She’s on cow’s milk now and I think if she’d been closer to one I would have been inclined to just give her cow’s milk straight away as there wouldn’t seem to be much point in getting her used to one type of milk to then change it a few weeks later.

I didn’t bother expressing at work at all. I was a bit uncomfortable for the first couple of days but absolutely fine since. I had been reducing the daytime feeds in preparation though, and I think those half sessions helped with not being too uncomfortable once the full days started.

DD didn’t seem to miss the day time feeds too much. She was happy enough at nursery but did want a long feed as soon as I got home and increased the night time feeds initially. I then weaned her off breastfeeding through the day completely by the time she was about one although at 16 months we are still feeding before bed and if she wakes at night.

I spent quite a lot of time stressing about how she was doing to manage without her daytime feeds and whether she’d settle at nursery but it all just clicked into place with no drama. Hope it does for you too!

Thank you. That’s really helpful!

From what I gather, DD doesn't really seem to miss it either way, she'll happily eat and drink and let others comfort her, but she is usually very pleased to see me at the end of the day!

My son started nursery just after he turned one. He no longer fed in the day at this point, just to go to sleep and through the night. Weaned at 16 months. Sleep still an issue now at nearly 2 😂