Infant Development: 10-month-Old Baby Care and Tips

Your baby is inching towards that big 1-year birthday stepping stone. She is hard at work to achieve as many milestones as she can before the first year is up. From sleeping through the night to chatting or babbling endlessly with parents and siblings, your baby will be doing it all in this month.

What are some of the milestones of your 10-month old?

• Your baby will be sitting up unassisted for longer hours which will mean longer playtime.
• Your baby has likely started to crawl by now and will become more mobile in this month. 
• Your baby has also started pointing to things this month. She will be pointing at the parents, siblings, and also her favorite toys.
• Your baby will try talking to you by not only babbling but also by using gestures and pointing.
•  Your baby will start calling the mother by saying “mama” and calling the father by saying “dada”. She may even have her own way of calling her siblings.

Your baby’s developments in the tenth month

Your baby is getting not only bigger but also smarter. In this month, your baby will start to understand simple instructions and will also give you cues by either gesturing or pointing to tell you what she needs.

• Weight & Length- 

On average, 10-month old girl babies weigh around 18.8 pounds and that of the baby boys is 20.3 pounds. The average height of 10-month-old girls is approximately 28.2 inches and that of boys is 30 inches. From this month onwards, babies generally gain almost half an inch and put on around .5 to 1.5 pounds every month. 

• Sensory developments- 

Your baby has made tremendous in this front. She not only hears everyday sounds but can also recognize and differentiate between them. She knows when it is her mother, father, or siblings talking. She has also become smart enough to respond to different sounds accordingly.

She will know that the doorbell ringing will mean new people, her siblings talking will mean playtime and she will just ignore the unimportant noises. This is going to be completely different than you what you had seen in your baby’s 5th month. 

• Awareness- 

This month, your baby will become more aware of her actions and surrounding. Whenever you give her the rattle, she will be shaking it, but when she will see a button while crawling, she will try to push it. You can also give her those toys that tart talking when a button is pressed as she will be able to push it by herself.

Feeding your 10-month-old

Your little one will be trying to exert her newfound independence and will try to feed herself with her spoons and she would even want to drink all by herself from her sippy cup. However, as your baby is becoming an enthusiastic eater, you always need to keep an eye on her during meals.

Even if she is eating by herself, don’t ever leave her unattended while she is eating.

• Bottle feeding: 

Your 9-month-old baby should drink around 24 to 33 ounces of formula within 24 hours. If you give your baby the bottle or the sippy cup 4-5 times every day, each session should have around 6 to 8 ounces of formula. 

Bottle feeding troubles- A lot of babies start to refuse the bottle at this age due to gum or teething pains. Some babies also want to exert their newfound independence and tries to feed at own terms. However, if she is healthy then she will feed according to her hunger. If she is refusing to feed, has a fever and is fussy then takes her to the doctor.

Also, right from now, ensure that you are not doing anything, which will end up making your kid strong-headed. 

• Breastfeeding: 

Feedings generally continue to be around every 4 or 5 hours and babies at this age generally will have 24 ounces of breast milk. You may start giving your baby solid foods before nursing her or giving her the bottle. 

Breastfeeding troubles- A lot of babies start to bite while breastfeeding. It can be quiet painful for the mother. Don’t give out any exaggerated scream or any big reaction when your baby bites.

She will mistake your reactions as amusing and will continue biting to see your next reaction. Instead, whenever your baby bites you, say a plain and simple “no”, stop nursing and put her down. After a few times, she will understand not to bite.

• Solid foods: 

You can continue giving the same amount and types of solid foods that you were giving in the 9^th month. Continue introducing new tasty and healthy foods to your baby every 3 to 4 days.

This will keep meals more interesting and exciting for her. You may even start giving her a little bit of whatever you are having at meals, as long as they are mashed or soft.

• Food ideas: 

You can continue giving her pureed, mashed, or diced into tiny pieces of fruits like banana, apples, avocado, peaches, blueberries; vegetables such as cooked potatoes, carrots, green beans, and/or sweet potato; finger foods such as pasta pieces, tofu or cheese cubes.

Among options of meats, you can offer her shredded chicken, pureed and cooked beef, and/or bits of turkey. 

• Weaning: 

As your baby is approaching her first birthday, you may want to consider weaning from your baby gradually from the breast.

It is entirely up to the mother’s choice and you can safely continue breastfeeding past 1 year. You may also choose to wean your baby from the breast but continue to pump breastmilk for bottle feeding.   

Sleep of 10-Month-Old

• Total amount: A ten-month-old baby will typically continue to sleep for about 14 to 15 hours per day. 11 of those hours will be covered at night. The rest of the 3 hours will be divided between the two daytime naps. Your baby may also start to sleep for 8 to 12 hours at nighttime without waking up. Some babies start to take only one daytime nap from this month. 
• Don’t worry if your baby is not among the majority and is still struggling to sleep through the night, even in the tenth month. Sleep regression among 10-month-old babies is not an indicator of anything serious. It lasts for a few months but will thankfully soon be over.

Your 10-Month-Old baby’s Schedule

Your 10-month-old baby’s daily schedule has by now undergone lots of changes over the past few months.

This month she will be spending her time chatting, moving, and grooving. Your baby will love to play with toys that start to make sounds when a button is pressed, toys with lids, switches, lights, and knobs.

Play lots of patty-cakes and sing-song rhymes. Play with your baby by passing the ball towards her and your baby will try and pass it back to you. Introduce a bed-time story regime, and make storytime fun for them. 

Tips and reminders for the tenth month

• Schedule your baby’s 12-month doctor’s checkup.
• Now would be a good time to start planning for the big and much-anticipated event, the 1-year birthday celebration of your baby. You’ll probably want to start sending out the party invites by the next month.
• Your baby may start acting out by being aggressive, banging head, rocking, or may even start to pull hair. It is just her way of dealing with all the new changes and stress. Your baby just doesn’t know how to express herself in other ways.
• Don’t forget to schedule a 1-year photoshoot session. If you are planning on a big birthday party, you also will need a photographer for that event. You can also start shopping for photo props, aesthetic decors, and/or matching outfits for the photoshoot.
• As always, once you introduce any new food in your baby’s meals, keep an eye out on the next few days for any signs of allergic reactions.

Frequently Asked Questions on 10-month old baby development

Takeaway

This month isn’t going to all that different from the last month from the parenting perspective. You can keep following similar feeding schedules and sleeping schedules if there is no major change in your baby’s patterns in this month. However, your baby will keep undergoing lots of developmental changes.

You will have to be more attentive whenever your baby is awake and you can’t ever leave her unattended during meals. Such caution will prevent any choking or mishaps.

Similar Posts:

None Found