A 10-month-old typically needs about 24 ounces (720 mL) of formula per day, spread across four to five bottles. At this age, formula still provides the majority of your baby’s calories, but solid foods are playing an increasingly important role in their diet.
Daily Ounces and Feeding Schedule
Between 8 and 12 months, babies need roughly 750 to 900 calories each day. About 400 to 500 of those calories should come from formula, which works out to around 24 ounces daily. That’s less than the 32 or more ounces many babies drink at 4 or 5 months, and the decrease is normal. As your baby eats more solid food, their formula intake naturally drops.
A typical day looks something like this:
- Breakfast: 4 to 6 ounces of formula, plus solid food
- Mid-morning snack: 4 to 6 ounces of formula
- Lunch: 4 to 6 ounces of formula, plus solid food
- Dinner: 4 to 6 ounces of formula, plus solid food
- Before bed: 6 to 8 ounces of formula
That adds up to roughly 22 to 32 ounces across the day, with 24 being a solid target for most babies. Some babies land a little higher, some a little lower. The bedtime bottle tends to be the largest because many babies drink more when they’re winding down.
Balancing Formula With Solid Foods
Formula remains the primary source of nutrition for babies under 12 months. But at 10 months, your baby is likely eating three meals of solid food per day, and those meals are gradually contributing more calories, iron, and other nutrients. The balance shifts week by week. A baby who was getting 90% of their nutrition from formula at 6 months might be closer to 50 to 60% from formula by 10 months.
If your baby is enthusiastically eating solids and their formula intake drops to 20 ounces, that’s generally fine. If they’re barely touching solid food and still drinking 30-plus ounces of formula, it may help to offer solids before the bottle at mealtimes so they’re hungrier for food. The goal is a gradual shift, not an abrupt one.
How to Tell Your Baby Is Getting Enough
At 10 months, your baby can communicate more clearly than they could a few months ago. Signs they’re full include pushing the bottle away, turning their head, closing their mouth, or using hand motions and sounds to signal they’re done. Forcing a baby to finish a bottle when they’re showing these cues can override their natural ability to regulate hunger, so it’s best to follow their lead.
On the hydration side, look for at least six wet diapers per day with no more than eight hours between them. Steady weight gain at regular checkups is the most reliable sign that your baby’s total intake of formula and solids is on track.
Water and Other Drinks
Between 6 and 12 months, babies can have 4 to 8 ounces of plain water per day. That’s a small amount, and it’s meant to complement formula, not replace it. Water helps babies practice drinking from a cup and supports digestion as they eat more solid food. Juice, cow’s milk, and plant-based milks are not recommended before 12 months.
Night Bottles at 10 Months
Most healthy 10-month-olds don’t need a middle-of-the-night feeding for nutritional reasons. If your baby is still waking for a bottle, it’s often a comfort habit rather than genuine hunger. The bedtime bottle, however, is a different story. It’s typically the last bottle babies give up, and at 10 months there’s no rush to drop it. If you do offer a bottle right before sleep, wiping your baby’s teeth or gums afterward helps protect against early tooth decay.
Preparing for the Switch to Cow’s Milk
At 10 months, you’re about two months away from the transition to whole cow’s milk. Formula should remain your baby’s primary drink until their first birthday. Starting around 11 months, you can introduce about an ounce of whole milk in a sippy cup once a day to let your baby get used to the taste and the cup itself.
Some babies take to cow’s milk immediately. Others resist the flavor change. If that happens, mixing equal parts whole milk and prepared formula can ease the transition. Over a week or two, you gradually increase the milk and decrease the formula until the switch is complete. This slow approach works well for picky drinkers and gives your baby’s digestive system time to adjust.