Bounty women on maternity wards

[FasterThanASnakeAndAMongoose]

I know this has been done before, but ho hum.

AIBU to say that marketing companies have no place on maternity wards?

After giving birth to my babies I was exhausted and vulnerable. It was a massive invasion of privacy for the Bounty women to barge in trying to harvest my details before my own parents had even met their dgc. They were waiting downstairs for visiting to start.

Hospital should be a sanctuary. Women on postnatal wards aren't necessarily ill, but I've never felt more ill in my life. On no other ward would it be acceptable for a marketing company to prey on patients, so why is it still ok on maternity?

Gives me the rage

Ahh they pestered me so much when I was in after a particularly difficult labour with DD. I felt pressured into buying the photos they took of her feet (?) as they were all 'omg this is once in a lifetime photo' and such As if I wasn't capable of taking my own photo of her feet if thats what I so desired. On the plus side, the free goody bag thing they gave me was cool and gave me something to look through while she slept.

After a easier labour with DS I felt able to tell them politely that I did not want any of their tat and pressure. I got an evil look and she walked away and loudly proclamied to the woman in the next bed that 'people do not appreciate our work' and such...

Pretty sure that with both DC the Bounty lady just handed me the packs then tootled off. Didn't take details or offer to take photos. That was at UCH in London - maybe some hospitals have stricter rules than others? or maybe I have such a terrifying face that she daren't ask me

I didn't know about Bounty when I had DD 16 years ago, and ended up giving my details. My god, the number of emails from various companies was unbelievable.

Knew better when DS was born and managed to get the pack without giving out details.

The funny thing was that DD was in the hospital under my surname (changed later) and the Bounty lady didn't do photos but had a deal with a local photographer. Who turned out to be the Ex of DP's sister. I'm sure he'd have recognised the surname if I'd been in with DP's surname

I didn't do the photos, took plenty of my own.

As soon as the Bounty woman walked into my cubicle, I said "I'm not interested, get out." She didn't try again. It's outrageous that they're allowed on maternity wards.

After reading all the bounty lady horror stories whilst pregnant on the old thread I was geared up to shout 'fuck off bounty bitch'.
But actually I was so wiped I just gave her a fake email address. She walked in as I was filming dd hiccupping with new mother engrossed wonder so didn't offer photos.

My mate's bounty lady walked in on her in tears and gave her loads of chocolate and then came back with a cup of tea for her.

I'm already skeptical of male relatives of patients hanging around in the maternity ward. It is still a hospital, and the women there need to be safe and able to recover in peace. Neither male strangers nor the happy chatter of a bunch of relatives is helpful for that.

People who take advantage of new mothers' vulnerability to sell them overpriced photos? That's scandalous. How on earth does anyone think that's okay?

The rep was quite good with me, asked if I wanted photos, was pleasant when I said no. Asked what nappies and wipes I'd be using and laughed when I said asda or Aldi, then said there were coupons in the pack of find useful as they were in the sample packs from both, in fact she slipped me double the freebies so could use the coupons. And the person baby towel came in useful.

I appreciate they can be insensitive and it's not appropriate for some new mums. I completely agree they shouldn't be there at all, but not all of them are horrible.

Persil not person!

Just read their pages about portraits - the 'preparing for your portrait' bit is horrendous, I would have hated the added aggro of that whilst getting sorted to go into hospital. Lots of suggestions as well that very much the easiest way to do it it is to fork the cash over there and then as well.

Interestingly having a mooch around their website a couple of things pop out - their advisory board seems to not publish their annual report (they published one in 2014), nor do they stick their meetings up any more. Their accounts also show their revenues were down 17% last year (to just under £18m)...

None of my mum friends have ever mentioned this before - I'm so shocked that this is allowed to happen! Woe betide anyone who dares to do this to me.

I hid in the loo and got OH to deal with her.

They're recruiting for a hospital near me. Potential earnings are 400 to 500 a month apparently.

I didn't encounter the bounty lady when I was in with DD, as I spent pretty much the whole day in NICU with DD. They weren't allowed in there. When I was on the post natal ward I was in my side room with door shut.
I'm outraged reading these stories. I do think it's scandalous they are allowed in hospitals at all. It wouldn't happen anywhere else in the hospital. Threatening people by saying you won't get child benefit form if you don't go along with giving your details is just crazy. Why are a commercial company allowed to claim they're the only distributor of a government form!?

I was forewarned about them from mumsnet so we're ready to tell them to do one. It came in handy.

I was in a side room as my daughter was on SCBU. I was knackered after a 40 hour labour finishing in a EMCS. The Bounty lady knocked and walked straight in on me and a student hand-expressing precious colustrum to take up to my daughter. Didn't even apologise and went 'Baby?'. I said 'In SCBU'. And then she went 'English or Welsh?'. I was very confused thinking is my daughter English or Welsh, as I'm English and her Dad is Welsh. I wasn't really sure what she was asking me so I just went 'Eh?' And she replied as if I was stupid 'Do you want your Child Benefit form in English or Welsh?'. I told her English, she gave me a pack and asked for details. I said no, she pressed a couple of times along the lines of 'Well don't you want to receive offers in the post' and I told her no I don't like getting crap and she left.

When at home I got my CB form out to complete and it was in Welsh. So I had to download the English 1 anyway. Utter waste of time

I found the Bounty lady really nice on my ward though She came round on the fri or sat I think - had been down on pn ward since thurs and was still recovering from
cs and ga so not in great shape .
She gave me some nappies and the pack which was useless as usual !
We defo wanted some photos done and were really pleased with them but she was so nice .
It is an odd thing but I dont think it will change as nhs must earn money from companies I suppose !
Perhaps you could let the mw station know if you dont want any ?

I really wish I had been forewarned about the bounty thing!! Me and dh had no idea. This woman came in and we were both absolutely exhausted and a little bit in shock after quick a tricky delivery and she started talking about photos and then started clicking away moving my dd into strange positions! We were both too confused and tired and totally not with it to really do much. We even bought some because we felt pressured and just wanted her to go which I am embarrassed about now to be honest but I guess you live and learn!

I'm about to have my second and I will definitely be telling her a firm NO the minute she walks in. I'm not having any such nonsense this time!

I really think they should put a stop to it or at the very least get the midwife to mention it first and say do you want them to come in and do this and possibly buy photos or not.

Back when I had my DC and with no digital cameras or phones I was pleased to have a chance to have a photo of my newborn and a bit disappointed that I didn't get offered one with my second baby.

I can see they are intrusive and have no place on a maternity ward nowadays but feel a bit shocked reading the way some of the people on here have treated the bounty ladies.

Isn't it just as inappropriate to be screaming f* off, get out etc in a room full of new mums and possibly visiting family & children?

Why not just say a firm 'no thanks'?

We loved the Bounty lady and got some beautiful pictures. DD had a cannula at the time and the photos were taken in such a way that it wasn't visible in any of the shots. Yes, we've got loads of pictures of her in her first few days but none come close to the Bounty ones. I can imagine that it all comes down to the specific rep but we had a good experience.

I fell for the child benefit form lie when DS was born and got tonnes of rubbish in the post so this time I was ready for them. I heard the rep encouraging nagging the woman next door who didn't want to give her details, so when she came to me I was all sweetness and light, albeit with a catheter and a subtle bag of urine.

Fake email address, old home address, subtly rearranged mobile phone number, no thank you to the photos as "my dad is a professional photographer" (he isn't), and she was gone out of my hair. It just occurred to me as I lay watching her skip round the ward like Red Riding Hood on helium that I was under absolutely no obligation to tell her the truth, so I didn't.

Bounty packs in the 90's had loads of good things in them. I loved mine and was very concerned to get them! Just told them I didn't want the photographs and they toddled off. Maybe it's more hard sell now.

I told one very politely to do one when I was in after having dd1. She persisted and I felt pressured but stood my ground and she finally went away. She gave me the dirtiest look like I was a terrible mother because I didn't want her to take a bloody photo. I am perfectly capable of taking lovely photos of my own baby.
With dd2 I was only in for 6 hours after having her so I missed them
This was 8 & 9 years ago now and I can't believe this is still happening. They shouldn't be allowed on maternity wards just like other companies arent. It's disgusting!
Just out of interest as I've always wondered. How much do they charge for the photos?

I don't think they're allowed at my hospital, I'm shocked they're allowed at others tbh. During a routine midwife appt the surgery receptionist gave me a bounty pack as the midwives themselves are banned from distributing them. She told me that there wasn't much of use in it but I might as well get the free washing tablets so I did. That was the end of bounty - certainly didn't see any reps during my 2.5 days on the ward. Horrible practice should be banned everywhere!

And my HV gave me some info about how to claim cb - which was basically go online and print the former! !

I must be unusual in having a positive experience with them. The one for DD1 just left us one after discovering we weren't buying. With dd2 she was lovely, knocked didn't push the forms and took a beautiful photo of the DDs together. However I can see everyone's point about the intrusion factor and that if they aren't as lovely as the one I experienced it can be dreadful.

Yep i agree ! Their photos aren't even decent and ridiculous pricing...i could take better photos of my baby myself !
I was very ill after my most recent baby and she came round that morning i was polite and said come back the next day...thinking we wouldnt be there. Then dd had to go into phototherapy and then an incubator...this all took place bedside on the ward tho....the bounty woman kept coming in everyday aftet that until i told her where to go.....i wasnt even able to hold my own baby she was constantly in a plastic box and the woman wanted her out to take photos....surely working day in and day out on a maternity ward she would have understood that time outside of the incubators is few and far between and stupud overpriced photos arent one of them reasons !