Most of what happens in the first year of feeding is normal, and a lot of my job is reassuring parents of exactly that. But there are specific things that do warrant getting advice, and it is worth knowing what they are.

Changes in stools

Blood or mucus in the stools, or diarrhoea, is a reason to speak to your GP.

This is separate from the general changes you would expect when starting solids. Going longer between visits, changes in smell and colour, undigested bits of food, and stools becoming thicker and firmer are all very normal as the gut adapts to food after having only had milk.

Growth

Two specific things on the growth chart:

• A downward crossing of more than two centiles.
• Growing below the 0.4th centile, which is the very bottom line on the chart.

Either of those should prompt you to seek advice.

What is not a red flag is your baby sitting one centile above or below on weight compared with height, or growth fluctuating up and down over the months. All children grow at very different rates.

Constipation that does not resolve

Constipation is common and normal when weaning starts. It becomes a red flag when it does not resolve with dietary changes and your baby is clearly in discomfort.

It is worth acting on rather than waiting, because ongoing constipation affects appetite, which can lead to food refusal and turn into a cycle.

Anything to do with allergy

If you suspect an allergy, seek advice. This is not one to work through on your own.

Uncontrolled reflux

That is the acid coming up, which is painful. Babies with uncontrolled reflux can go on to refuse feeds or lose interest in weaning altogether.

If that is what you are seeing, get help, because the feeding difficulty is downstream of something treatable.

A very limited food range

If your baby is taking fewer than around 10 foods by the age of 9 months, that is worth getting a bit more help with.

As they get older, over the age of one, we would want to see at least 20 foods or more. If you are stuck at around 10, it is worth getting advice from a professional rather than waiting to see whether it resolves.

Dehydration

Infrequent wet nappies, or urine that is dark or smelly, could indicate dehydration and is worth getting looked at.

What is not a red flag

It is worth naming these too, because they cause a lot of unnecessary worry:

• Gagging, which is a natural and expected part of learning to eat.
• Squishing, throwing and playing with food.
• Pulling faces or spitting food out.
• Refusing foods that were previously accepted.
• Eating very little at the start of weaning.
• Appetite dipping with teething, illness or hot weather.
• Waking in the night while breastfeeding, even over the age of one.

A note on what this article is

This is general guidance and principles, not personalised advice. If you need personalised or medical advice, that should come from your own GP or healthcare professional.

Guidance also changes as new research comes in, so anything here reflects the position at the time of writing.