Dropping milk feeds

[SianNic]

Hi all, my ds is 7 1/2 months and breastfed plus eating some solids (although very hit and miss!). I am wondering whether I am getting it wrong with the milk feeds as his appetite for solids is low and some milk feeds are very small (although as he is breastfed it is hard to know how much he is really drinking). I have him on a rough routine where he gets the following:

wake up - breastfeed (anywhere between 5.30-8am!)
Breakfast - porridge around 8.30-9am
Breastfeed - 11-11.30am
Lunch - around 1pm
Breastfeed - around 3.30pm
Tea - around 5.30pm
Bedtime breastfeed - around 7-7.30pm

He is not always showing signs of wanting a milk feed when I give him his breastfeeds but the reason for the schedule was to try and sort out his night wakings which have improved. Any comments - do you think he would be better on 3 breastfeeds/day (obviously would give more if he demands)? Grateful for any advice :)

4 feeds sound fine to me (my ds dropped to 4 feeds at 8 months and to 3 feeds at 9 months)

Your routine looks pretty much the same as mine was until last week (DD now 8 + a bit months).

Now we have dropped the 11am breastfeed, mostly she doesn't have anything between breakfast and lunch but sometimes a small snack (ricecake or breadstick and water) if she wakes from her morning nap early. We do lunch a bit earlier though, around 12, so if you drop the morning feed your LO might need a snack to get through til lunch.

Don't worry though, it really looks fine to me (although I'm no expert!!!) I know people who have dropped down to 3 feeds earlier, and some who have done it later so don't think there are any rules.

What makes you think his appetite for solids is low? Are you comparing with other babies his age? I think it can vary tremendously from baby to baby, and generally each baby knows what they want so he'll demand more solids when he's ready for them, just let him lead you.

Sorry for essay post!

Thanks RJandA - its good to know I doing it sort of right! I think I may give him another week and then try dropping the 11am feed and see how he reacts.I did leave him for a day last week with my hubby when I did a days work for the first time and he coped all day with just his solids plus some expressed breast milk with his meals (he wont take a bottle so has milk out of a cup which again is a bit hit and miss!)
I think I probably am comparing his appetite for solids with other babies as all of my friends have younger babies who seem to wolf it down! However its the variation in what he eats which tends to stress me out - some days he will eat and then some days he eats virtually nothing! I just worry he is getting enough of everything he needs, milk or solids!