A 10-month-old typically needs 24 to 30 ounces of breast milk or formula per day, spread across three to four feedings. That works out to roughly 6 to 7 ounces per feeding, spaced about four to six hours apart. At this age, solid foods are playing a bigger role in your baby’s diet, but milk is still the primary source of calories and key nutrients.
Daily Milk Amounts by Feeding Type
Whether you’re breastfeeding, bottle-feeding formula, or doing a combination, the overall target stays the same: 24 to 30 ounces across the day. For bottle-fed babies, that’s easy to measure. If you’re breastfeeding, counting sessions is more practical. Three to four nursing sessions per day is typical at 10 months, and each session delivers roughly the same volume as a bottle if your baby is feeding well.
Some babies at this age naturally start dropping to three milk feeds as they eat more solids at meals and snacks. Others hold steady at four. Both patterns are normal. The shift tends to happen gradually, and your baby’s appetite will guide the pace.
How Solids Fit Into the Picture
At 10 months, your baby is likely eating two to three meals of solid food per day, possibly with a small snack. Solids are important for developing chewing skills, exposing your baby to new flavors, and providing nutrients like iron that milk alone can’t fully supply at this stage. But milk still accounts for a significant share of total calories.
A common mistake is offering so much solid food that milk intake drops too low, or the reverse: filling up on milk so your baby has little interest in solids. The simplest approach is to offer milk first thing in the morning and before bed, then build solid meals in between. Some parents offer a small amount of milk with meals and a full feeding at wake-up and bedtime. Either approach works as long as total milk intake stays in the 24-to-30-ounce range and your baby is actively eating solids.
Why Cow’s Milk Should Wait
At 10 months, your baby should still be drinking breast milk or formula, not cow’s milk. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until 12 months to introduce whole cow’s milk. Cow’s milk lacks adequate amounts of vitamin E, iron, and essential fatty acids that babies this age need. The protein and fat in cow’s milk are also harder for a young infant’s digestive system to break down compared to breast milk or formula.
Once your baby turns one, you can switch to pasteurized, plain whole cow’s milk. Until then, stick with breast milk or formula as the milk source.
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, usually offered in a sippy cup during meals to help your baby practice drinking and stay hydrated as solid food intake increases. Water shouldn’t replace milk feeds. Juice, flavored milks, and other sweetened drinks aren’t recommended at this age.
Vitamin D Needs
Babies under 12 months need 400 IU of vitamin D daily. Most formulas are fortified with vitamin D, so if your baby drinks the recommended amount of formula, they’re likely covered. Breastfed babies usually need a separate vitamin D supplement because breast milk alone doesn’t provide enough, regardless of the mother’s own vitamin D status. Your pediatrician can confirm whether a supplement is needed based on your feeding setup.
Signs Your Baby Is Getting Enough
The most reliable day-to-day indicator is wet diapers. A baby who is well hydrated and getting enough milk will produce at least six wet diapers in 24 hours. Fewer than six can signal dehydration. Other warning signs of inadequate intake include a sunken soft spot on the top of the head, unusual fussiness, and dry lips or mouth.
Steady weight gain is the bigger-picture marker. Your pediatrician tracks this at well-child visits using growth charts. A baby who is consistently gaining weight along their growth curve is getting enough nutrition overall, even if individual days vary. It’s normal for appetite to fluctuate, especially during teething, illness, or developmental leaps. A day or two of lighter eating isn’t cause for concern as long as your baby bounces back and wet diaper counts stay normal.