when do you typical drop from 4 BF a day to 3?

[Jemimah]

I have a 9 mth old.  Should I be dropping a BF yet?  I typically feed WU, morn snack, aft snack and BT.  Should I be cutting down to three yet?  If so which one to drop, and what do I replace with??

WU and BF: 6.30
Solids: 8
BF after AM nap: 11/11.30 (if I keep this should I be moving to before naptime?)
solids: 1
BF after PM nap: 4
solids: 5.30
BF at bedtime:6.45

We still have a NF around 3-5 which we haven't been able to drop yet as we are trying to figure out the NW that we are getting.  But we have barely ate at the Aft BF yesterday and barely at the AM BF at WU.

Thanks!

[cath~]

We had a similar feeding routine to you at 9 mo and I think it was around 10 mos when we dropped the am 'snack' bf, mostly because L just wasn't interested in it any more when I offered (she'd rather be playing).

I replaced it with a small snack. Something like raisins, rice cake, fruit, bread stick or cheese. Also offered water with the snack (from a cup).

If your LO is generally eating well though and seems to still want those bfs (or you're happy to keep offering) then I don't think you need to be in a rush to drop any day feeds.  Milk is still the most important thing until they are 1 yo.

[15milner]

I was told, 4 feeds a day at 10mths.  Both boys dropped to 3 feeds about 11-12 months.

[Jemimah]

Thanks for the responses.  Makes sense.  Did you guys move the morning feed to before the nap time so it wasn't so long till the next one?

[cath~]

I didn't change timing of anything, just replaced mid-morning bf with mid-morning snack + water

[*Ali*]

I dropped from 4 to 3 BFs with both of mine when they went down to one nap.  For DS1 that was 12mo and for ds2 it was 15mo. It was easy to just stop it when they didn't have the second nap. We just offered a sold snack like yoghurt instead.

I think 12mo is a pretty common time to drop the 4th feed although some drop it earlier if their lo is keen on solids.