diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index f4fd198..8b71aca 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -38,6 +38,7 @@ const monitor = await client.monitors.create({
   // re-deploy, or `TERRAFORM` if it lives in `.tf` you re-apply.
   managedBy: 'DASHBOARD',
 })
+// Note: `monitor.currentStatus` is null until the first probe runs (~1 minute); display `monitor.currentStatus ?? 'PENDING'`.
 
 // Get a single monitor
 const fetched = await client.monitors.get(monitor.id)
diff --git a/src/types.ts b/src/types.ts
index e2946a6..cbec11a 100644
--- a/src/types.ts
+++ b/src/types.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,24 @@ export type Schemas = components['schemas']
 
 // ── Response DTOs ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
 
-export type MonitorDto = z.infer<typeof S.MonitorDtoSchema>
+type MonitorDtoBase = z.infer<typeof S.MonitorDtoSchema>
+
+/**
+ * Full monitor representation returned by GET, POST, and PUT endpoints.
+ *
+ * `currentStatus` is the derived health of the monitor (e.g. `"up"`,
+ * `"degraded"`, `"down"`). It is populated after the first probe runs —
+ * typically ~1 minute after create — so on a freshly-created monitor it
+ * may be `null` or `undefined`. Always provide a fallback when displaying
+ * it, e.g. `monitor.currentStatus ?? 'PENDING'`.
+ */
+export type MonitorDto = MonitorDtoBase & {
+  /**
+   * Populated after the first probe (~1 minute after create). May be
+   * null or undefined immediately after create.
+   */
+  currentStatus?: string | null
+}
 export type IncidentDto = z.infer<typeof S.IncidentDtoSchema>
 export type IncidentDetailDto = z.infer<typeof S.IncidentDetailDtoSchema>
 export type AlertChannelDto = z.infer<typeof S.AlertChannelDtoSchema>