At four months, infants can sleep for eight hours without being fed; by five months, they can sleep for ten or eleven hours straight. So if an infant sleeps for eleven hours and does not wake up to eat, it means that she has eaten before bedtime. Some suggest that starting meals at night would allow babies to feel full longer which could help prevent nighttime wakings.
It is common for young infants to need to be fed every three to four hours during the day and night. As they get older, their stomachs will growl and make feeding time come sooner than four hours. In fact, most children start school with a lunch bag full of snacks because they can't stay awake until the morning meal!
The amount that an infant eats varies depending on how often she feeds and how much she gets at each meal. Most breastfed babies require about 200-250 milliliters (ml) of milk per meal. This amount can be estimated by measuring the circumference of your breast around its largest part and then multiplying that number by 2.5. For example, if your breast measures 100 mm around its largest part, you should feed your baby 250 ml of milk.
If you are using formula, babies usually need half of their body weight in calories per pound of body weight.
At 4 months, your baby may be waking every 2 hours overnight because their sleep cycles have matured and shortened to only 2 hours in length, after which they will enter a very light sleep phase and easily wake, often requiring assistance to fall back asleep. Their little bodies are still growing and developing so this is normal behavior for them.
The number of hours you can expect your infant to sleep at 4 months old depends on how much time you can get them to sleep each night. If they are getting 7-8 hours of sleep per day then they should be sleeping 12-14 hours per day. However, if they are struggling to sleep for more than 3-4 hours at a time then this amount of rest is too long for their immature brains and bodies to handle. You should be able to put an end to these extended awake periods by moving the clock forward by 1-2 hours until they can go longer between feedings.
If you think that your baby is not getting enough sleep, talk with your doctor about whether there might be another cause for their irritability and increase their feeding intervals or skip a meal or two to give their bodies the energy it needs.
By four months, most babies begin to show a preference for longer nighttime sleep. Many babies may go for five to six hours or more without needing to eat by six months and will begin to "sleep through the night."
It is normal for new parents to want to hold their baby as soon as possible after birth. However, don't force him/her to wake up just because you are hungry or thirsty! Let your baby sleep until he/she is ready to wake up. This way, you're not feeding/nursing your baby too early or too late.
Most healthy infants require only occasional feedings during the night. But if your baby isn't getting enough to eat or drink, he/she will need to be fed more frequently during the night.
It's normal for newborns to want to eat every hour at first. As they get used to sleeping without eating, they'll probably start sleeping again after only 20 minutes. So if your baby hasn't eaten in two hours but still seems hungry, give him/her another meal before putting him/her back to sleep.
Some new mothers find that their breasts are not ready to produce milk after giving birth. If this is the case for you, do not worry about it. Your body will adjust over time.
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