I was really struggling to get to grips with the birthweight statistics because they are all given in grammes.
I know that 2.2 lbs = 1 kg & that a kilogram equals a thousand grammes, of course I can do the conversions but that takes up thinking time which could more profitably be devoted to considering all the implications & asking the right questions.
If I worked in obstetrics or a related area I am sure I would by now be at my ease with the metric scale. But I don’t & all my ‘knowing’ is rooted in the experiences of my childhood & young womanhood.
I know what a 7lb baby looks like – or one that weighs 6lb. I know what it’s like to carry a 10lb baby on my hip. I haven’t got a clue what a 3600 gramme baby looks like.
Clearly I am not alone, since The Times readers & the BBC radio More or Less team expect their readers & listeners to have the same way of knowing what makes a bonny baby as I do.
I know that 2.2 lbs = 1 kg & that a kilogram equals a thousand grammes, of course I can do the conversions but that takes up thinking time which could more profitably be devoted to considering all the implications & asking the right questions.
If I worked in obstetrics or a related area I am sure I would by now be at my ease with the metric scale. But I don’t & all my ‘knowing’ is rooted in the experiences of my childhood & young womanhood.
I know what a 7lb baby looks like – or one that weighs 6lb. I know what it’s like to carry a 10lb baby on my hip. I haven’t got a clue what a 3600 gramme baby looks like.
Clearly I am not alone, since The Times readers & the BBC radio More or Less team expect their readers & listeners to have the same way of knowing what makes a bonny baby as I do.
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