Mysterious white Bounty folders - what's in them and do I need one?

[PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling]

That's it really. Everyone at the maternity unit seems to carry their notes around in one, but I was never given one, probably because I've been consultant-led so no midwive appts since 16wks.

Anything I actually need in there, or is it just a lot of advertising waste paper?

[dizzy77]

The latter. It might have contained a free nappy. I dumped mine and carried my notes in a proper folder. A bit of a stationery addict and couldn't bear its flappy ineffectual uselessness.

[Fluter]

Mainly, yes.....plus the odd freebie / voucher, and the odd interesting book if it's your first, but primarily it's advertising and patronising stuff about how if you dare to consider FF rather than breastfeeding you will be a bad mother (my hobbyhorse - I intend to BF, but am sensible enough to know that it may not be possible, so would actually like some information about it as well, rather than feeling that information is being withheld).
You should still have been given one at the first appointment - I'm consultant led and still had a booking appointment at the hospital where they should have given you one. I ended up with three, but that's another story :-)
Did you get the big purple NHS book?

[BikeRunSki]

Advertising crap, for stuff you don't need.
The post natal one is more useful, tiny sample of useful stuff, in pots small enough to fling in changing bag.

[FlipFantasia]

It's just a load of advertising stuff - persil sample, mini sudocrem sample, advertising for bump/baby portraits, the bounty magazine which is a few articles on pregnancy & babies but mostly adverts etc

Any feeding stuff is actually provided by the NHS, so isn't technically in your bounty pack, though since it's all generally handed out at your booking in appointment they get kind of mixed up.

I didn't get one in my first pregnancy (got the post-natal ones though) and got one in this pregnancy. The folder is quite rubbish, so will also be treating myself to a proper sturdy plastic one (another stationery addict here!).

[Cattleprod]

The folders are slightly too small for the enormous tome that maternity notes seem to be these days. But yes, just a few leaflets and vouchers and a book.

My bounty folder when pregnant with DS did come in very handy as a sick bag on one occasion, so they do have their uses!!

[openerofjars]

a) crap

b) no

I didn't get one until after the birth. The only useful thing in there was the world's smallest pot of sudocrem, which was brilliant for the changing bag. Apart from that, it was a bag of paper recyc.

[BikeRunSki]

Flutter I know what you mean! I FF after a week of failing to BF and felt totally unsupported. Got one scroaty leaflet that basically told my to wash my hands before making up feeds. Later found out that it is illegal in UK (and elsewhere) to promote FF antenatally, for some very good reasons which I fully support. DC2 due in 10 weeks - I'll try again but try not to get too hung up about it.

FF v BF is never going to be a topic that will discussed without extreme views, emotion and politics, but there is some info on the background as to why FF is not promoted here.

[PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling]

Thanks all, doesn't sound like anything I need in my life.

No purple NHS book either! Even more mysterious...

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

I didn't sign up for them, mainly because I didn't want to be on a thousand mailing lists for the rest of the DC lives.

Fluter if OP does want information on ff or bfing then the NCT helpline is good. Personally if I was after good, evidence based information on ff I wouldn't turn to the bounty packs. The formula companies are selling you a product, not looking to get you well informed. Thre is some info here for example that is never going to be in a bounty pack.

There is some good information on ff on the NHS website too and a thread in the feeding section here.

[Fluter]

BikeRunSki thanks for that link - enlightening! I realised about the views etc, it's why I stay away from the boards on the subject. Thankfully, I have some very practical friends who've done both.

I have no problems about the manufacturers not being able to plug it - it's bad enough trying to negotiate the marketing crap and list of things that you can't possibly do without from Mothercare/etc/etc (I've got to the point of assuming everything bar nappies is 'nice to have' rather than essential), but not being able to find sensible, factual, information about the practicalities of FF if BF is not possible drives me scatty.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Flutter if you want to bf don't worry too much about information on ff. As I mentioned before the NCT helpline can give you good, evidence based information on ff and what the current guidelines are on doing it safely.

The problem that I think most women seem to have with bfing is lack of support, so if you would like to bf it may be worth finding out where your local bfing support groups are. Try your local Surestart Centre or this list from the ABM , BabyCafes or La Leche League, and going along while you are still pregnant. I think I've read somewhere that it has been proved that if you go along to these groups before you have the baby you will be much more likely to bf once the baby is here.

Your local NCT might run a bfing support group, alternatively they will most probably run a group that welcomes everyone, whatever their choices are, so it will probably worth finding out when and where they meet and going along to that one too.

Try to find out who your local Bfing Counsellors are too and putting their numbers in your phone, contact your local LLL, NCT, ABM or BFN to see if there are any Counsellors local to you.

Putting the Breastfeeding Helpline numbers in your phone is a good idea too as some of them are 24 hours and you can almost guarantee that when you have a problem and want to talk it will be the middle of the night.

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Sorry Fluter not *Flutter8

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Just seen this article on formula and thought you might like to read it.

[Fluter]

Cheers all - interesting article there! Never intended to hijack the thread, OP, so sorry.... I just like to be prepared for as many eventualities as possible... :)

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Always a good plan Fluter

When I was pregnant with DC1 I didn't buy anything related to feeding at all, just sort of went with the flow as it were.

Before having DC2 I read this book and can really recommend it, only wish I'd read it before having DC1.

Thought you might like this link too, its very good especially the recommended books and books to avoid (like the plague). Basics of Breastfeeding in the Early Weeks is a good link too as is How does milk production work?.

Only posting these as I was so badly informed before having DC1 it was laughable and thought they may help you not to be in the same position.

Sorry for the hijack thread too OP. As you were......

[PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling]

Hijack away! I'm going to come back and read the feeding debates/advice a bit closer to D-Day... right now and still concerned with a) growing the little buggers and keeping them in, and b) getting them out! (expecting twins, which probably means even more of the standard NHS advice is totally irrelevant to me)

[dizzy77]

Peeling - you might want to try to get hold of the purple NHS book, whilst MNing avidly through my pg I did find it helpful - not least because DH was willing to leaf through it whilst he wouldn't touch any of my other literature (although he did read this, thankfully).

Cattleprod: at use of plastic folder.

[Fluter]

Peeling I'm expecting twins as well!! (30 weeks today), so I know exactly where you're coming from - there's very little in the books about multiples, except to tell you that you're more likely to suffer from everything under the sun...

Not sure how far along you are, but the thing I was told, but still managed to come as a surprise to me was how soon in the pregnancy I would be exhausted and unable to do normal things. Cue midwife the other day reminding me that I already had the weight / size equivalent of a term baby inside me and what did I expect(!)

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Congratulations on both expecting twins. Thought you might like this link on Kellymom and it would probably be worth getting in touch with your local LLL as they may have some books on feeding twins in their library.

[DuelingFanjo]

I remember sitting in the waiting room to see the midwife at about 38 weeks pregnant with my grubby notes in my hand and realising every other pregnant woman had put their notes into the white bounty folder which explained why mine were covered in stains and bits of cake & chocolate from the bottom of my bag

[Crosshair]

I didnt bother putting my notes in the bounty folder, its abit big to be carrying around.

[GwendolineMaryLacey]

Do you not get them second time round? I haven't had so much as a sniff of one and I want the micro sudecreme.

[footyfan]

Thought you might like a link to the NHS purple book. It's a bit long to print out, so probably worth asking for a proper copy if you think it's useful.

www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_107302

[Oeisha]

Ah! The purple book. I got it at my booking appointment. Some useful stuff in it(for me the stuff on Maternity Rights/benifits etc is the only stuff I didn't know well). I only got "Emma's Diary", (the notes about antenatal screenings), and a few other bits of crap vouchers etc with it. Can't say I gave it more than a cursory glance, and then grumbled about the commercialisation of birth.

Is it me or is it juuuust a wee bit too late to be giving pg women nice diagrams on how they got pg in the first place...? Those pages could have been much better used explaining baby's development.
I got Pregnancy Bible and it's more informative than the purple book, as my notes don't seem to match the format suggested in it.

I've put my 'baby audit trail' in a purple plastic pocket thingy and decotated it with footprint stickers...mainly as I was keeping it in the same bag as my 'puke kit' (water, toothbrush etc)...kept me entertained for 1/2h. Also provided an excellent excuse to buy 2 new handbags.

[stripeybump]

Does everyone carry their mat notes everywhere then?

I don't