is it me or is there conflicting advice on how much milk when on solids...??

[lindso]

my dd is 8.5 mths and eating three meals a day. i'm back at work next week and she currently has: a bf in the morning, a bottle of formula (5/6 oz's) in the afternoon and a bf from me before bed - basically three milk feeds a day too. she has water at mealtimes too.

on the one hand i read that milk should still be her main source of food/nutrition (leading me to think she should have four milk feeds and poss less food) and on the other i read/have been told that she could just have milk from me morning and night, with water during the day - in other words drop the formula feed in the afternoon.

confused?? am i just being dim?? (break it to me gently..)

It's the protein thing I think. Milk is often the main source of protein for babies under 1.

Waht you're doing sounds just fine to me as along as one or two of those meals have protein in.

If you're off to work next week it seems a bit mean to cut out the bottle as that may be a calming and relaxing moment for her while getting used to you not being there!

a minimum of 20oz is recommended from 6 months to 1 year so it doesnt matter how many milk feeds you have as long as they add up to the 20oz. At that age ds still had 4 milk feeds and didnt drop to 2 feeds till 10 1/2 months. I was guided by ds though and didnt drop feeds until ds lost interest in them. Do what suits you and your lo not what you have been told to do.

That 20oz is a total though - dd can eat it as well as drink it.

I stopped feeding dc1 at 9 months and she never drank an ounce of formula or cows milk - refused point blank. I just gave her dairy at least once a day plus yoghurt for pud.

my two were still have 4 milk feeds a day until about 10 months when it dropped to three until about 16 months.