The CDC defines milestones as things most babies, 75 percent or more, can do by a certain age. There is no 10 month checklist. The one just behind you is 9 months, when most babies get to a sitting position by themselves, sit without support, bang two things together and rake food toward themselves with their fingers. [3] The next one ahead is the 1 year list. Treat it as a preview of the coming weeks, not a test your baby must pass today. [1]
Movement is the big story this month. The AAP describes crawling as a skill usually mastered between 7 and 10 months, so some 10 month olds are seasoned crawlers and others just got going. Both are on schedule, and some babies scoot or slither instead of crawling at all. What matters is that your baby coordinates both sides of the body and uses each arm and leg equally. [2]
Pulling to stand is often the current obsession. The AAP notes that once babies see everyone else walking, they pull themselves to a standing position every chance they get, and at first they may not know how to get back down. Show yours how to bend the knees and lower down instead of lifting them each time. [2] Cruising usually follows: stepping sideways along the couch, holding on for support. Make sure whatever your baby uses for support has no sharp edges and is weighted or attached to the floor so it cannot tip. [2] As for walking, the AAP is reassuring: many babies take their first steps around the first birthday, and starting earlier or later is normal. A 10 month old who shows zero interest in standing has plenty of runway. [2]
Hands are getting precise too. The raking grab of a few months ago is turning into the pincer grasp, the neat thumb and pointer finger pickup that the CDC lists as a milestone by the first birthday. Watch your baby at mealtime and you will likely see it in rehearsal. [1]
Then there is talking. At this age babbling starts to sound like real conversation, and your baby may stumble onto words like "mama" quite accidentally, then notice your delighted reaction and start using "mama" on purpose to summon you. The AAP counts as a first word any sound that consistently refers to the same person, object or event, so "ba" for bottle counts. [4] By 1 year, most babies call a parent "mama" or "dada" or another special name. [1]
Emotionally, you are in the thick of it. Separation anxiety usually peaks between 10 and 18 months, which means month 10 can be the clingiest stretch yet. Your baby now knows there is only one of you and protests when you leave. The AAP notes babies are more susceptible when tired, hungry or sick, so timing departures after naps and meals helps. This phase is a sign of healthy attachment, and it fades. [5]
The CDC lists 12 to 16 hours of sleep per 24 hours for infants 4 to 12 months, naps included. Babies vary, so count the whole day rather than judging the night alone. [6]
Separation anxiety shows up at bedtime too. A baby who wails the moment you step out of the room is working through a normal developmental stage, not testing you. Keeping goodnights short, warm and consistent is easier on everyone than dramatic exits. [5]
Safe sleep rules still apply at 10 months. Use a firm, flat sleep surface and keep soft objects and loose bedding out of the sleep area, since pillows and blankets raise the risk of suffocation. [7] One practical note: a baby who pulls to stand will do it in the crib, sometimes at 2 a.m., and may cry there, stuck upright. Practicing the sit back down move during the day saves night trips. [2]
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Open the week calculatorMeals step up around now. WHO guidance moves from 2 to 3 meals of solid foods per day at 6 to 8 months to 3 to 4 meals per day for infants 9 to 23 months, with 1 to 2 snacks as needed. So a 10 month old's day starts to look like yours: breakfast, lunch, dinner, plus a snack or two. [9]
Breast milk or formula still carries real weight, and both work. The AAP sample menu for 8 to 12 month olds is built around roughly 24 ounces (720 mL) of breast milk or formula a day, with solid food portions of about 2 to 4 ounces. [8] For families who breastfeed, WHO supports continuing on demand up to 2 years of age or beyond. Families using formula follow the same solids rhythm with the same amounts. [9]
Finger foods are where the action is. The AAP advises offering them once a baby can sit up and bring hands or objects to the mouth, which a 10 month old does all day. Keep every piece soft and small to prevent choking, and let your baby do the picking up. Every pea and puff is pincer grasp practice. [10]
Plain water belongs in the routine too: about 4 to 8 ounces a day for this age, offered in an open cup to build cup skills. [11] Juice can wait. The AAP states that infants under 1 year should not drink juice at all, and that eating fruit is always preferred to drinking it. [11]
Most of what a 10 month old throws at you is ordinary. A short list of signs deserves a call, so you never have to wonder.
Fever. A fever above 104 F (40 C) repeatedly, at any age: call your child's doctor. A fever that lasts more than 24 hours in a child younger than 2 years: call, even if no other symptoms show. A fever along with a seizure, or a child who still acts sick once the fever comes down: call right away. [14]
Dehydration. Fewer than six wet diapers in a day, or a parched, dry mouth: the AAP lists these as signs of dehydration and advises notifying the pediatrician immediately. Fewer tears when crying and sunken eyes belong on the same list. [15]
Movement. Your baby uses one side of the body much more than the other, or does not use each arm and each leg equally: bring it up with your doctor. [2] A 10 month old who is not yet sitting without support is past the age when most babies do, so that is worth a conversation too. [3]
Skills. Your baby has lost a skill they once had, or is missing several milestones as 1 year approaches: share that with your doctor and ask about developmental screening. Acting early helps, and most of the time the answer is reassurance. [1]
LEELALU is education, not medical care. Nothing here is a diagnosis. For anything on this list, or any symptom that worries you, contact your provider. If it feels like an emergency, call 911.
By the first birthday, the CDC milestone list includes pulling up to stand, walking while holding on to furniture, drinking from a cup without a lid as you hold it, and picking things up between thumb and pointer finger. It also includes waving bye-bye, calling a parent "mama" or "dada", looking for things they see you hide, and pausing when you say "no". Much of it is already in rehearsal on your living room floor. [1]
Many babies take first steps around the first birthday, and it is completely normal for walking to start earlier or later than that. Most children go from those first shaky steps to confident walking within days. [2]
And if goodbyes stay hard for a while, that is the expected shape of things. Separation anxiety usually peaks between 10 and 18 months and then fades during the second half of the second year. [5]
Yes. The AAP notes that many babies take their first steps around the first birthday, and it is normal for children to start walking earlier or later than that. The CDC lists pulling up to stand and walking while holding on to furniture as milestones by 1 year, not 10 months. A 10 month old who is still perfecting crawling is on schedule too: the AAP describes crawling as a skill usually mastered between 7 and 10 months. [2] [1]
The CDC lists 12 to 16 hours per 24 hours for infants 4 to 12 months, naps included. Babies vary, so count the whole day rather than the night alone. [6]
WHO guidance for infants 9 to 23 months is 3 to 4 meals of solid foods per day, plus 1 to 2 snacks as needed. Breast milk or formula still matters: the AAP sample menu for 8 to 12 month olds is built around roughly 24 ounces (720 mL) a day, with solid portions of about 2 to 4 ounces. [9] [8]
LEELALU is education, not medicine. This page cannot diagnose or treat anything, and it never replaces your clinician. For anything on the "call your doctor" list, or anything that worries you, contact your provider. Found an error? Write to hello@leelalu.com and a person will read it. Our method: Editorial Standards.