10-Month-Old Baby
10-Month-Old Baby
Your baby is 10 months old! Life’s pretty chaotic because you have a soon-to-be toddler moving around your home and because you’re still probably having some late nights. But don’t all those kisses and hugs you’re getting from your 10-month-old baby make it all worthwhile? (You know, they’re doing that because you do it—you’ve set a great example for showing affection!) Baby surprises you every day with their progress. It’s so fun watching them grow and develop, but it’s still totally normal to question every decision and wonder if they’re meeting all the 10-month baby milestones. While baby will go at their own pace, there are certainly some exciting things to look forward to in the coming days and weeks. Wondering what a 10-month-old baby should be doing at this stage? We have the answers to your most pressing questions. Ready to get the scoop on the inner workings of a 10-month-old baby? Read on for all the important info.
Baby is getting bigger and smarter. Baby knows what their favorite toys are and can understand when you give them simple instructions. They’re very playful and may give you cues at this age, like clasping their hands together when they want you to join in on the play.
10-month-old baby weight and length
How much should a 10-month-old weigh? The average weight of a 10-month-old baby is 18.7 pounds for girls and 20.2 pounds for boys. Average length is 28.1 inches for girls and 28.9 inches for boys. Baby may be growing about half an inch each month and gaining about .5 to 1 pound per month.
If your child doesn’t seem to be putting on pounds, you might wonder how to increase the weight of a 10-month-old baby. Talk to the pediatrician about their specific case, but in general, if baby is following their growth curve, it’s all good. You do want the doctor to keep a close watch just in case though. You can try increasing the number of times baby has a bottle or nurses throughout the day, or give them high-calorie foods, like yogurt, eggs, avocado and nut butters. Continue to breastfeed and/or give baby bottles, but know that you might notice a dip in the amount of formula or breast milk they take in at this point, as they’ll be eating more and more solid foods.
10-month-old’s five senses
- Baby is not just able to hear everyday sounds, but they recognize them too—your voice, their older sister’s voice, the doorbell, etc.
- Baby may pay attention to the noises they know are important and ignore the ones that aren’t.
- Baby also knows what to do with their hands. When they have a rattle, they shake it; when they see a button on a toy, they push it.
10-month-old baby milestones
What should a 10-month-old be doing? Milestones at this age can vary from baby to baby, but here’s what your little one might be up to:
- Sitting. Baby now can probably sit up without any support—maybe for as long as they like.
- Crawling. Nine months is the average age babies start to crawl, which means yours might have been doing it for as long as a month or so, or you’re still waiting for them to start. A 10-month-old not crawling is not typically a cause for concern. In fact, doctors say some perfectly healthy and well-developed babies never crawl at all—they jump straight to walking! Encourage baby to crawl by positioning their favorite toy just out of reach—and cheer baby on!
- Standing. Baby may be able to stand upright while holding onto a piece of furniture. (And in a matter of months, they may be letting go!)
- Hand skills. A 10-month-old baby can often pick things up using their thumb and pointer finger and has learned how to point (at anything and everything exciting) too. A 10-month-old baby may start using their fingers to self-feed. This is a great time to practice waving “bye-bye” and blowing kisses. Baby will love it!
- Talking. What should a 10-month-old be saying? About half of 10-month-olds say “Mama” or “Dada” to refer to their parents. (Aw!) Within the next two months or so, baby will likely know how to say one to three words.
Here are some frequent health questions parents of 10-month-olds have. Click through for answers and lots of helpful information:
- My 10-month-old has diarrhea. What should I do?
- My 10-month-old is constipated. What should I do?
- My 10-month-old is coughing. What should I do?
- My 10-month-old is vomiting. What should I do?
- My 10-month-old has a fever. What should I do?
It’s not just you feeding baby now; they’re probably self-feeding a bit too! Your 10-month-old baby may drink from a bottle, sippy cup or a straw cup unassisted or grab the cut-up bananas on their high-chair tray. You never want to leave baby eating unattended though, in case of choking.
How much should a 10-month-old eat and drink?
Baby might have a hearty appetite, and they’re probably willing to try lots of different things (picky eating is more of a toddler problem). Enjoy the culinary curiosity while it lasts!
Bottle-feeding: Wondering how much formula a 10-month-old should drink? A 6- to 8-ounce bottle about four or five times per day is usually about right. A 10-month-old refusing the bottle is a common complaint; it could be due to teething pain. Or maybe baby’s just exercising independence! Rest assured that baby will eat if they’re healthy and hungry, but look out for signs of illness, such as fever and fussiness. And if baby really won’t eat or drink, it’s time to see the pediatrician.
Breastfeeding: Feedings are typically about every four to five times per day but each breastfed baby may be slightly different. What’s important is that baby seems content, your breasts seem to have been emptied (they’re soft) and baby’s gaining weight healthily. In a 10-month-old, biting might become a breastfeeding hiccup. If your baby tries to bite you during a feeding, strictly tell your baby “no” and end the feeding, putting them down. After a few failed tries, they’ll learn that biting doesn’t fly with you.
Pumping: A breastfed baby needs about 25 ounces of breast milk per day. So you’ll need to divide that by how many feedings your baby typically has. So if you feed baby about five times per day, they should get about 5 ounces of breast milk at each feeding, for example.
What can a 10-month-old eat?
You can continue introducing healthy food options to your baby, sticking to one new food every three or four days. You might even start feeding them a little bit of what you’re having. Fruits and veggies are fair game—continue to puree them, but now they can have some texture, or if they’re soft, cut them into tiny pieces baby can pick up and nibble on. Try avocado, banana, blueberries, peaches and cooked potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots and green beans. Other good finger foods for a 10-month-old baby are pasta pieces, O-shaped cereal, scrambled eggs and tofu. Baby might be eating meat too. Shreds of chicken and ground bits of turkey can be picked up and eaten. Ground beef can be cooked into small pieces and served with a spoon.
Need more food ideas for a 10-month-old? Meal ideas can gradually become more varied as baby tries and likes new foods. Remember to offer baby a variety of food groups, paying attention to giving them a balance of protein, carbs and healthy fats at each meal.
Can my 10-month-old eat eggs? Many parents of 10-month-olds ask about eggs. The advice used to be to avoid giving babies eggs before their first birthday, but that recommendation is changing. Egg is a common allergen, and the old advice said egg yolk was okay around the nine-month mark but to wait to introduce the egg white (which is more likely to cause an allergic reaction). But newer food allergy research suggests that it might actually benefit baby to introduce allergenic foods early and often. So the short answer is yes, you can give baby egg at 10 months (or, really, any time after 6 months), but it’s always smart to talk to your pediatrician before introducing possible allergens. And as with introducing any new food, watch your baby for signs of an allergic reaction in the following days.
10-month-old feeding schedule
Here’s an example of a typical 10-month-old feeding schedule:
Ten-month-old babies typically need about two naps—one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Your baby may be sleeping as much as 11 or even 12 hours at night, perhaps with no waking up. (That’s cause for celebration!)
What to do if your 10-month-old baby won’t sleep
Some parents complain that their 10-month-old baby is suddenly not sleeping or their 10-month-old wakes up screaming when they previously never did. In a 10-month-old, sleep regression can happen. Because baby’s learning new skills, such as crawling, pulling up to stand and cruising, they might decide they want to practice them… in the middle of the night. It’s hard to get back to sleep after all that activity. Other babies simply miss their parents in the middle of the night and just want to be close to you.
The good news is, babies tend to grow out of regressions like this within a few weeks. Until then, use some of these tricks to try to help baby (and you!) get more restful sleep. If your 10-month-old won’t sleep through the night, it’s not necessarily a problem. But some parents are eager to get themselves a good night’s sleep! If you’re interested in helping your 10-month-old sleep longer stretches, consider sleep-training—here’s how to do it.
10-month-old sleep schedule
Here’s an example of a typical 10-month-old sleeping schedule:
Your 10-month-old’s day looks a lot different than it did just a few months ago. There’s a lot more moving and grooving! The day is full of multiple meals, feeding sessions, naps and plenty of playtime. Suffice it to say, you’re both pretty busy!
10-month-old schedule example
A 10-month-old’s daily schedule might look something like this:
Looking for things to do with a 10-month-old? Ten-month-old babies are ready to have real fun! You’re probably already besties, but here are a few creative ways to spend some quality time together:
- Baby might love to play with toys with buttons, lids, switches and knobs. Get a ball and pass it back and forth with baby—this simple game is tons of fun for a 10-month-old! So is pat-a-cake; they can probably now join in and clap hands with you.
- At 10 months, baby’s hand coordination improves each day; encourage them to stack blocks or bowls to keep them engaged. This will help strengthen their cognitive skills.
- Schedule baby’s 12-month checkup, if you haven’t already.
- Sing simple songs to baby, like “Itsy-Bitsy Spider.” Babies love music, and this is the perfect way to introduce them to new words and sounds.
- Start planning baby’s birthday party if you’re having one. You’ll want to send out invitations about a month in advance.
- Take baby’s 10-month-old baby milestone photo.
- Hopefully, baby’s sleep regression has passed by now. To get baby to sleep through the night, try experimenting with sleep-training like the Ferber method.
- If your 10-month-old baby is on the move, always keep a watchful eye on them. You’ve already childproofed the house, but it’s important to supervise them when they’re scooting, crawling or starting to walk to keep them out of harm’s way.
- If baby’s teeth have started coming in, they may pick up a bad habit of biting. If your child bites you, respond firmly and negatively. Afterward, offer baby something they can safely chew on, like a soft toy or teething ring.
- Praise baby for all their new tricks. This is a great way to build baby’s self-confidence. Baby will be more inclined to try practicing new skills when they know it makes you happy and proud. Be sure to offer gentle and positive encouragement.
Can you believe your little one’s first birthday is just around the corner? Your child is growing up right before your eyes, so be sure to savor all those 10-month baby milestones you’ll experience soon. Every day is a new adventure as your 10-month-old baby gets stronger and smarter.
Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.
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