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Your baby at 10 months: development milestones & what to expect
7 min
Welcome to 10 months – a delightful age at which your little one’s babbles might sound like real conversation, their movement is developing at pace, and their toothy smile begins to make them look like a child instead of an infant!
Physical development milestones at 10 months
As we’ve said before, this is a stage of huge difference, where one 10-month-old could be walking, another could have started saying a few words, and you might wonder if your baby is getting left behind. Babies all develop in different ways, so as long as your baby is progressing and otherwise thriving, don’t worry if they’re not on the move just yet.
But, let’s have a look at what might be happening this month. Your little one might have got the hang of crawling, and be surprisingly speedy about it! That means you really can’t take your eyes off them for even a moment – they are little chaos machines and will manage to find the most dangerous thing in any room.
The same applies but on additional levels once your little one is on their feet. Put your health and safety hat on and do a little home risk assessment. Is there furniture that needs attaching to the wall? Have you put childproof catches on the cupboards? Are all your soaps and shampoos well out of reach? Taking the necessary precautions to keep your child safe doesn’t make you a helicopter parent – it actually gives your baby more freedom to move around independently because you’ve created a safe zone in which they can play.
Milestone checklist
- Pointing – Your little one’s hand gestures are getting more communicative – and sometimes feel a little bossy! ‘You there, servant, fetch me my bunny.’
- Teething – Those teeth are still coming through and might be causing mischief. Now that your baby’s weaning, you can give them cold foods to chomp on, like cucumber sticks, which might help.
- Dancing – Try putting some music on – does your baby wiggle along? Then get the disco light out and have a party!
Child brain development at 10 months
At 10 months, some babies start picking up a few words. While ‘mama’ and ‘dada’ are the most likely candidates for first words, your little one might surprise you. Help build their vocabulary by talking, talking, talking – both when you’re out and about on your daily adventures, and at home. The more you talk and sing with them, the more you’re feeding their brain.
While your little one can now understand simple words – yes, no, more, that kind of thing – they can’t necessarily act on them. So, for example, just because you’ve said a certain thing is off limits and keep pulling them away from it, don’t be surprised if they persist in going after it. They’re not developmentally ready to understand consequences or risks, so you’ll have to do all that thinking for them for a while yet – and still be the person who consoles them when they’re frustrated about not getting it. It’s a lot to hold in your head – no wonder you feel so tired at the end of the day.
Social & Emotional Development
Babies don’t really play together in the way that young children do – not yet. But they will enjoy playing side by side with other babies. If you have friends with similar age children, try getting together for playdates and watch what happens. They might learn new skills, pick up new words, and even develop a real connection with their peers. What they definitely can’t do yet is share, so be prepared to swoop in when negotiations are required over favourite toys! Slowly, your little one will learn about turn taking and communicating in ways that prepare them for the future – playgroup, nursery or preschool, for example.
Sleep & Feeding
Rhythms and routines at this stage
By 10 months your baby will probably be down to two naps a day – often a shorter one in the morning and a longer one in the afternoon, totalling around 3 hours or so. They should then – in theory – be able to sleep 11 hours overnight. Of course, not all babies can manage 11 hours in one stretch and many will still be waking for a feed. This is also normal. Eventually they will learn how to settle themselves back to sleep when they wake, but in the meantime just keep loving them through it. You’re doing a great job.
Bedtime routines
All the experts agree that the best way to get a good night’s sleep is by having a consistent bedtime routine. That means doing the same thing at roughly the same time every day. You might also find it useful to have a naptime routine if your little one is struggling to settle for that much-needed afternoon nap.
At bedtime, your routine might include:
- A milk feed
- A bath
- A lovely soothing baby massage (also an opportunity to moisturise any areas of sensitive skin)
- A fresh outfit and nappy
- A bedtime story
The milk feed is the tricky bit to fit in – too early and it’s both too close to dinner and too far from morning, too late and you risk feeding them to sleep, which could leave them thinking they need a feed to get to sleep. Try it before the story and see if that works for you.
The story part of the routine just gets lovelier as your little one gets older and begins to take more pleasure from picture books. Of course, you don’t have to just stick to what’s in the book. You could use this time to talk through your day, or look at family photos, or just say all the nice things you want to say to your baby. It’s a special bonding time, so it’s especially important that the bedtime story is a shared responsibility between both parents and doesn’t always fall to mum.
Picnics
Now to a different time of day – lunch! Because your baby is having a morning nap and an afternoon nap, it can sometimes feel difficult to know when to go out. Picnics are your answer – take food with you and you have a bit more flexibility around how long you spend out of the house.
Now that your baby is 10 months old, they can happily feed themselves finger foods like cooked carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, finger sandwiches, slices of melon, etc. The key to finger foods is to think in terms of finger shapes – this both makes it easier for your baby to pick up and hold onto, and is less of a choking hazard than round foods. Slice things like grapes and tomatoes into pieces and avoid whole nuts or cutting things into discs.
And don’t forget that many of the premade baby meals – like our jars and trays – can be eaten hot or cold, straight from the jar or tray if needed, so your little one could enjoy a whole family-style meal in the park if you fancy.
Appointments around this time
There haven’t been any routine appointments for a while, but around 10 months you should be invited for a review with your health visitor.
You’ll receive an invitation to make an appointment along with a questionnaire that will give you the opportunity to try things with your baby, like putting a raisin inside a clear plastic bottle and seeing if they try to get it (seriously – that’s on the questionnaire!). The idea is to check off the things your baby can do (yes, sometimes, not yet) and then talk through the answers with the health visitor in an in-person appointment during which they can observe your baby for themselves.
Some people find the questionnaire quite confronting – answering a lot of ‘not yet’s can feel concerning. But as we’ve established, babies progress at different rates and all those ‘not yet’s don’t necessarily add up to anything worrisome. Take the opportunity to ask all the questions you’ve been asking the internet and don’t stress about it. It’s not a test you pass or fail, it’s just an opportunity to check on your baby’s progress.
Looking after yourself
Have you ever wondered if you’re doing everything wrong, just because you’re making different choices than your friends? It’s almost impossible not to compare yourself to other mums – especially at this point when babies are hitting various significant milestones at different times and when you’re staring down the barrel of a return to work. Here’s a little mental self-defence to remind you that you’re doing what’s right for your family – more of a catchphrase than an affirmation: ‘Good for her, not for me’.
Here are a few examples of how you might use this phrase:
- Someone is batch cooking all their meals from scratch, but you don’t have the time or energy – good for them, not for me.
- Someone has decided to stop breastfeeding and move to formula, and you don’t feel ready to do that – good for them, not for me.
- Someone has declared their intention to breastfeed until their baby no longer wants to, but you are so done with it – good for them, not for me.
- Someone has chosen not to go back to work but you’re looking forward to returning – good for them, not for me.
- Someone is looking forward to going back to work, but you’re looking for ways to stay home with your baby – good for them, not for me.
We could give countless others – nappies, weaning, sleep training. You’re making choices for your family all the time, but the crux of it is: you’re making them for good reasons. ‘Good for them, not for me’ is a first line of defence against the gremlins in your brain questioning your decision-making.
You’re not failing by not doing what other mums are doing – they’re doing what works for them, and you’re doing what works for you. Keep this catchphrase in your pocket and pull it out whenever you’re doubting yourself.
A Note on Development Milestones
Developmental milestones are guides – not deadlines. If your baby isn’t ‘keeping up’ with your friends’ babies, it isn’t an immediate cause for concern. Every child develops at their own pace. That being said, your health visitor and GP are there to support you with any queries you might have and will always be happy to see you with your baby if you have any worries.
