Your baby's growth and development — 10 months old

At 10 months old, your baby is probably very active. They can sit well and may pull themselves up using furniture.

Most sleep now happens at night, with less sleep during the day. At 10 months old, babies often have around 2 naps a day. This can vary and it is still normal for your baby to wake at night in their first year.

Your baby may also be teething at this age. This can be uncomfortable and your baby may seem unsettled, drool more and want to chew on things. You can help by offering safe teething toys and giving extra comfort.

Solid foods

At 10 months old, many babies eat solid foods alongside breast milk or formula. If your baby eats more solid foods, they may drink less milk.

The texture of foods should match your baby's stage of development. Many babies are chewing at 10 months old. This means moving from smooth to lumpier textures. Small, hard pieces of food should be avoided as they can cause choking.

• Regular cow's milk should not be used as the main source of milk in your baby's first year.
• Fruit juice and sweetened drinks are also not recommended during your baby's first year.
• Offer your baby a variety of foods from each of the 5 food groups every day.

At 10 months old, your baby is growing steadily but usually not as fast as in the early months. Your baby will grow at their own rate, and it's not helpful to compare your baby's growth with other babies.

Your baby's weight and length will be checked at regular health checks. These measurements are compared with standard growth charts to make sure your baby is growing steadily.

While every baby develops at their own pace, there are things that babies and children are generally expected to be doing at each age. These are called 'milestones'.

Physical development

At 10 months old, your baby may rock, sway or bounce when sitting. They may also crawl or move around the floor using their tummy, hands and knees. Don't worry if your baby isn't crawling. Some babies never crawl and go straight to walking.

Over the next month or so, your baby may:

• cruise (step) sideways while holding onto furniture
• stand for short moments without support
• move more confidently between sitting, crawling and standing

Your baby may still prefer crawling while they gain confidence.

Keep your baby safe by making sure anything dangerous — such as electrical cords, unstable furniture and hot drinks — is well out of reach.

Cognitive development

At around 10 months old, your baby may be curious about how things work. They may look for hidden toys and pick up objects using their thumb and forefinger.

Over the next month or so, your baby may:

• put objects into containers and take them out again
• enjoy toys, such as pushing buttons or pulling strings to hear sounds
• get better at solving simple problems, like fitting toys into cups

Social development

Over the next month or so, your baby is learning how to share attention and communicate during play. Your baby may:

• show or give you toys
• enjoy games like peek-a-boo
• copy actions, such as clapping

Many babies show signs of separation anxiety and may feel unsure around strangers.

Emotional development

At 10 months old, your baby is forming a stronger attachment to their caregivers. Over the next month or 2, your baby may:

• seek comfort from you when upset
• show joy during social games
• show early awareness of others' emotions, such as responding to another baby's distress

Language development

Over the next month or 2, your baby may:

• babble using sounds like 'ba-ba' or 'da-da'
• turn when their name is called
• begin to understand simple, familiar instructions such as 'come here' or 'give it to me'
• use gestures, such as pointing, reaching or waving goodbye

Your baby's first words may appear between 8 and 14 months of age.

As your baby settles into a daily routine, they are often awake more during the day. This gives you more time to play, talk and bond with them.

Here are tips to help your baby develop over the next month or 2:

• Help your baby feel safe with cuddles, comfort and staying close, especially if your baby is showing signs of separation anxiety.
• Talk to your baby often. Use simple words, say their name and respond when they babble or gesture.
• Sing songs, read picture books and copy sounds together to support language.
• Play simple games like peek-a-boo, hide-and-seek with toys and taking turns with objects.
• Encourage learning by letting your baby put toys into containers, knock down blocks and explore cause and effect.
• Support movement by allowing safe crawling, standing, cruising along furniture and practising early walking with support.

Talk to your doctor or maternal child health nurse if your baby:

• has not started to sit without support
• does not show attempts to move, such as crawling or pulling up to stand
• is not interested in holding toys or passing objects between their hands
• is not babbling or making sounds
• does not respond to carers or make eye contact
• seems very uncomfortable during teething

At any age, it's important to speak to your doctor if your baby has stopped doing something they had already learned to do. This is sometimes called 'regression'.

If you are worried or would like to discuss any issues with your baby's development, speak to your doctor or maternal child health nurse.

You can also reach out to these support groups:

• The Australian Children's Education and Care Quality Authority has information about your child's development from 8 to 12 months old.
• The Australian Breastfeeding Association has information about weight gain and growth patterns in breastfed babies.
• Children's Health — Queensland Hospital and Health Service has a fact sheet on development skills and activities from 8 to 12 months old.
• Tresillian has information on baby milestones and development.
• Child Health Info has a child development guide from birth up to 12 months old.