Should I be worried, or is this just a normal start to weaning?

[Miss E]

We started solids about a month ago and my DS has been doing really well. At the moment he's having breakfast (usually rice cereal with apple or banana or yoghurt) and dinner (usually a few vegies as finger foods with some mashed avocado or pumpkin) along with a cruskit or a rusk during the day. I also give him water with each meal which he loves.

Over the last week or so I've noticed that he is reducing the amount of milk he's having, generally he will only have one breast for a few minutes. Up until recently he has pretty much always had both breasts at each feed and fed 6 to 7 times a day. He has also refused his 10pm dream feed last night and on Monday night (this had never happened before this) and on a few occassions refused his top up feed at bed time.

Now the 'sensible' part of me thinks it is nothing to worry about and this is just him reducing the amount of BM he's having because he is having solids now. But I can't help but worry about whether or not he is getting enough milk (I know it is the most important thing at the moment). To give you an idea yesterday he fed:
7am - one and half breasts, then had breakfast (smallish amount)
10am - one breast
12.30pm - about 120ml of EBM
2.30pm - one breast and about half a rusk a little later
6.00pm - one breast and a small amount of dinner (avocado and finger food vegies, plus one cruskit)

He refused to feed at 8pm before I put him to bed (actually has started biting me, which I think is his way of refusing, but that is another thread) then again when I tried to give him his dream feed at 10pm. He then slept until 4am when he had one breast. This morning he woke at 6am had a suck of one breast for about a minute and didn't want anymore. But a half an hour later ate a good amount of breakfast (about 3-4 tsp's of rice cereal with EBM and apple) and guzzled a reasonable amount of water.

So I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that this is okay and if it's not some tips on what I should do. At the moment I am expressing when he refuses a feed cos I am scared of letting my supply drop if it is just a phase... TIA

[Olive]

sounds like you have very efficent breasts and an equally efficent baby!!
soounds like he's getting all he needs/wants from one breast.
id also say hes too young to wean just yet. your doing ace

[Miss E]

Thanks Olive. I'm pretty confident in my supply, don't seem to have any shortage of milk. But it does worry me because it really seems that he is reducing the amount that he has... I guess I thought that this wouldn't happen for awhile yet, but when I talk about weaning I see it as a long thing over 6 months as we gradually increase the amount of solids he is having. I suppose I just need to follow his lead and be confident in his ability to regulate how much he needs.

BTW he had a great feed at 9am - both sides for a good amount of time (just like what he used to do). That gives me a bit more confidence too.

[Jennifer13]

He would be super-efficient at bfing at this age, but if you're concerned I would cut down on the water you are offering him. It's important to offer the breast before any solid meal at his age too. Breastmilk is his more important source of food and nutrition before he's one and having too much solid food may interfere with this.

But it sounds like he is doing really well!

[BekZ]

We started Eva on solids a month ago and I've noticed a dramatic decrease in her feed times and she doesn't seem to need as many feeds in a day. Although she someimes makes up for it during the night and feeds 3 times. Some of her day feeds are 3 mintues tops and others are 20 mins. hth. I am just following her lead. If she is happy and alter then I am that she is getting enough.