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10 Month Old Baby: Milestones, Sleep and Feeding
Your 10 month old baby: cruising, clapping, waving, understanding simple words, family meals and sleep changes.
Before you use this guide: Every baby grows and develops at their own pace, and healthy babies vary a lot. Weights are WHO medians at the start of the month, not targets. If your baby was born early, use their corrected age. This is general information, not an individual medical assessment.
How your baby is developing
At ten months, many babies are on the verge of walking. They may crawl fast, pull themselves up to standing, and cruise along furniture. Others are happy sitting and playing, and some stay put until close to their first birthday. Walking can start any time between about 9 and 18 months and is still normal.
Communication is growing quickly. Many babies this age wave, clap and point at things they want, and they begin to understand simple words and phrases like “no”, “bye-bye” and their own name. They may babble with the rhythm of real speech and imitate sounds and gestures.
Milestones to look for
These are skills that many babies show around this age. Some will come earlier and some later, and missing one is not usually a cause for worry.
- Pulls up to stand, and cruises along furniture
- Crawls well, or finds their own way to get around
- Claps and waves, or starts to copy gestures
- Understands simple words such as “no” and “bye-bye”
- Babbles with different sounds, and may say “mama” or “dada” without meaning
- Uses a pincer grip to pick up small objects and food
- Looks for hidden objects
Feeding
- Most babies are eating three meals a day with one or two snacks, and having milk feeds morning, evening and sometimes between.
- Offer a range of family foods in a safe size and texture. Soft finger foods, small pieces of fruit and vegetables, well-cooked meat, fish and pasta are good options.
- Encourage your baby to drink from an open or free-flow cup. Water and breast milk or formula are the best drinks.
- Keep avoiding added salt, added sugar, honey, whole nuts and other choking hazards.
- Your baby's appetite may vary from day to day, and that is normal.
Sleep
- Two naps a day is typical, with longer wake windows of around two and a half to three and a half hours.
- Sleep may be disrupted by new skills like pulling up, teething, or separation anxiety. This phase usually passes.
- If your baby wakes at night, a calm, quick, reassuring response helps. Try not to start new habits you do not want to keep.
See our wake windows by age guide and the rules in our safe sleep guide.
Play and learning
- Encourage cruising with a safe line of furniture and toys to reach for.
- Play clapping games and sing songs with actions.
- Give your baby a push toy that is stable, or a cardboard box to explore.
- Read books and let your baby turn the pages.
- Talk about what you are doing together throughout the day.
Keeping your baby safe
- Make sure furniture is stable and that heavy items cannot be pulled down onto your baby.
- Keep stairs gated and check that windows are secure.
- Keep hot drinks, kettles and cooker pans out of reach, and use the back rings.
- Store medicines, cleaning products and small batteries in a locked cupboard.
- Shoes are not needed indoors, and bare feet help balance.
Looking after yourself
Your baby is becoming more independent, and it can feel like a mixture of pride and worry. Enjoy the new skills and keep your expectations flexible.
If you are returning to work or arranging childcare, build in time for your baby to settle with new carers gradually.
When to ask for help
Talk to your health visitor or doctor if your baby does not sit without support, does not crawl, bear weight or pull to stand by about this age, does not respond to their name or to your voice, does not babble or use gestures, or has lost skills they had. If your baby has a high fever, is difficult to wake, is breathing fast or hard or has a rash that does not fade under a glass, seek urgent care.
Trust your instincts. If you are worried about your baby at any age, contact your doctor, health visitor or local emergency number.
Born early? Our corrected age calculator shows the age to use when you look at milestones.
Trusted resources to read next
These public health resources provide additional information. Guidance can vary by country, so prioritise advice from your own doctor or health visitor.
- CDC: Helping babies sleep safely — Safe sleep environment recommendations for babies.
- NHS: Early days — Newborn checks, feeding, and support during the first days.
This content is for general information only and is not medical advice. Every pregnancy and every baby is different. Always talk to your doctor, midwife or paediatrician about your own situation, and seek urgent care if you are worried.