The length of the nursing periods and the intervals between them have to be adjusted to the needs and condition of each baby; his weight, vigor, the rapidity with which he nurses, the character of his stools and his general condition, all of which will be considered in connection with the care of the baby. The intervals between nursings are measured from the beginning of one feeding to the beginning of the next, and are fairly uniform for babies of the same age and weight. The length of the nursing period itself is usually from ten to twenty minutes. [Illustration: FIG. 139.—The Nursing Mother. (By permission from a pastel by Gari Melchers.) ] The average baby nurses about every six hours during the first two days, or four times in twenty-four hours. According to one schedule he will nurse every three hours during the day for about three months, beginning with the third day, and at 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., or seven times in twenty four hours. From the third to the sixth month he nurses every three hours during the day and at ten o’clock at night, or six times in twenty-four hours, and from that time until he is weaned he should nurse at four hour intervals during the day and at ten o’clock at night, or five times daily, as follows: ─────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────┬───────────── │ Day │ Night │ │ First and second days│ 6 12 6 │ 12 First three months │ 6 9 12 3 6│ 10 2 a. │ │ m. Third to sixth month │ 6 9 12 3 6│ 10 After the sixth month│ 6 10 2 6 │ 10 ─────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────┴───────────── It is becoming more and more common to omit night feedings after 10 p.m., even during the first three months, with the average baby who is in good condition. When this practice is adopted the baby not only seems to do as well as he normally should, but to benefit by the long digestive rest during the night. Certainly the mother profits by the unbroken sleep which this makes possible. As a rule the baby should nurse from one side, only, at each nursing, emptying the breasts alternately, but if there is not enough milk in one breast for a complete feeding both breasts may be used at one nursing. Neither the mother nor the baby should be permitted to sleep while he is at the breast, but he should pause every four or five minutes to keep from feeding too rapidly.