Q. Is it okay if my four month old still nurses every two hours at night?

Four-month old babies who were born full-term, don’t have acid reflux (GERD), and are gaining weight appropriately should be able to sleep at least six hours without needing to eat. Five-month olds can go at least nine hours. And six-month olds can go up to twelve hours!

Bottom line: your baby should have at least one, long sleep stretch a night. Then it may be mealtime every two to three hours after that. If he awakens after six hours, asks to eat and actually EATS, then assume he is hungry and continue to follow his cues.

But if he fusses and falls asleep at the breast without actually eating much, that is your clue that he doesn’t really need to be fed. Next time just try patting him back to sleep. That will help begin the process of lengthening that “long stretch” of sleep.

However, even if your baby is sleeping longer, you may have to get up and pump. Some moms need to pump after six hours, otherwise their milk supply vanishes. Moms who struggle to make enough milk often have to follow this rule: aim for at least six to eight stimulations a day (whether pumping or breastfeeding) and take no longer than one six hour break of no stimulation.

Reality Check

Babies continue to eat about every two to three hours during the day for a very long time. Even preschoolers eat three meals and two snacks a day (eating about every three hours). Do not try to increase the time interval between meals during the day—just aim for spacing them out at night.