I looked at her in confusion. I had not been unhappy with Monkey3 until I was told she was steadily dropping down the growth chart percentiles. Actually, that had not been very upsetting. It was the "You have to come back in a month for a weight check... and you may have to start solids early" comment that had made me unhappy. I felt like saying, "Are YOU happy with that?"
Yes, for the medical chart minders, a pound in a month was satisfactory. The baby had stabilized on one growth curve. A continuation on this trajectory will mean she's a peanut, a tiny baby, but at the moment that is acceptable news to the white coats.
Should a pound be a victory? It doesn't feel like one to me. A pound in a month is what she has been averaging. A friend who is also taking her baby to frequent weight check appointments remarked, "I'm just trying to buy time until my baby matches their chart... because he will eventually." We got lucky it happened so quickly. Still, I am reminded of the medical disregard for individuality that I encountered from doctors during pregnancy, causing my husband and I to seek out a midwife and skip the hospital.
I wonder if this discontent will also lead us on another path...
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