Call the Midwife...

Four years ago, when my daughter was born, I learned that the National Health Service sends a midwife to the home of every mother within a week or so after she leaves the maternity ward. It's a friendly visit to make sure she is recovering and her new baby is thriving. The midwife arrives with a backpack full of equipment, including this portable baby scale. When she pulls it out, it looks like a pillowcase with a metal hook--mildly sinister, and not something you would want anywhere near your