weaning small breastfed 10.5 month old

[apew]

Hi, my DD is 10.5 months old on the 5th centile so quite small. She is totally breastfed, won't take bottle or any of the beakers and sippy cups I have tried. Only drinks water from doidy cup (so not much goes in) or from a "Highland Spring Sports Cap" bottle oddly. I always planned to completely wean at 12 months so I can get pregnant again but so far only managed to drop the 11am breastfeed. She has solids three times a day, not huge amounts but adequate I think. Plus breastfeed at 7am, 2.30pm, 6.30pm and dreamfeed anywhere between 9.30pm and 11pm.
I'm not sure which feed to drop next and whether to force it or let her decide. I think the dreamfeed is more for comfort but she does take in some milk. Plus she sleeps though to 6/7am so don't want to revert back to the first 5 months of sleep deprivation!
Does anyone have any tips/experience with weaning a small baby? So frightened of starving her!
Thanks

Thanks for the response! She has always been interested in our food and eats just about anything except puree! Also vegetables can be a bit of a struggle sometimes. The only way i can get her to eat ready brek or any cereal is with greek yoghurt, which she won't eat lots of anyway (maybe the morning milk feed is putting her off??). She will happily let other people feed her and prefers to feed herself so I give lots of finger foods. I don't offer snacks between meals as I want her to eat well at lunch and dinner (maybe I could replace the afternoon feed with a snack??).
Always been on the 5th centile and same weight as her father when he was born, although he is now tall and lean. I am small but weighed 8 pounds 10 ounces when I was born.
I guess I'm just not sure how much food she should be taking at each sitting before I can reduce milk feeds. I really havent got a clue what I am doing! I don't know anyone with a small baby so I really appreciate the advice.
Thanks

I agree with what motherhurdicure is saying - all of it! Phew, that's saved me a heap of typing

There was a thread a while ago about TTC whilst breastfeeding, and someone (sorry, I can't remember who it was ) described how they monitored whether they were ovulating with the idea of decreasing milk feeds just enough to ensure they would still ovulate.

Why not try that? The TTC board will have lots of info about how to do this.

You might find that you're fertile at 12 months anyway, in which case you can just relax and let your dd feed as much as she wants.

you might still be able to get pregnant whilst breastfeeding - especially if she's not feeding much at night as the frequency of night thinks does, I think, have a big influence in the contraceptive (or not) aspect of breastfeeding. There are quite a few mumsnetters who have done so, including some who have gone on to tandem feed. Although I believe quite a few babies self wean during pregnancy

so if you only want to wean her for that it might not be neccesary at all and you don't need to stress. there's no real way of telling how much she will/won't feed other than just letting her lead the way.

if you DO want to wean anyway I'm sure someone will be able to help, there are some previous threads on this. I don't know much myself I'm afraid.

I also have a 10.5 month old. He still breastfeeds 3 times a day and once or twice during the night. He also eats EVERYTHING in sight, he is like a dustbin. Although he was born at 10 lbs 5, around the 98th centile, he has now dropped to under the 50th (although still above the 91st for length) but I just think that's him finding his natural weight, and he is VERY active.

Yours sounds absolutely fine TBH.

blimey I had this open for AGES before I posted

missed all that wellie had to say

I got pg while bfing. Even when you are exclusively bfing contraception is around 80% but goes down as you drop feeds.
Soumds like you are doing a great job still feeding and letting her have what she wants solid-wise, my dd was on about 4th centile and we did this.
If and when you want to wean, you can try the 'don't offer but don't refuse approach' but it doesn't sound like you need to at all. IIRC dd dropped feeds to about 3/4 a day at 10 months, then gradually dropped off until at 16 mo she went to one a day which we are still on now at 22 mo. hth

Keep offering BM on demand, the first feed is one of the last to go imo. Just give her an hour before you offer solids. Same at Lunch and Dinner.

I still BF at 16m and if DD is poorly all she will take is BM. I don't know how I would cope some days without it!
If they are destined to be small they will be, some take time to take to solids, my DD thrived the minute I discovered Baby Led Weaning see here

DD took to puree at first but being a bright button she realised it was not what Mummy was eating and soon started throwing carrott puree at me steamed anything in sticks or chunks goes down well here. As well as cut up roast dinner now she is older.

Thank you everyone for your comments! My instinct is telling me that she will want to feed a bit beyond 12 months which is totally fine by me. I will look into the TTC board.
Thanks for the reassurance everyone!

Glad you feel better apew, mumsnet is so good for reassurance