To mention no Bounty reps on my pregnancy notes?

[LolaStarr]

I'm 38+4 weeks pregnant and I've just had my last appointment with my midwife, I just have consultant appointments from now on. She was going through the labour checklist part of my notes, and after we'd discussed it all she asked if there was anything I'd like added on. When I had DS1 I had barely just had him when a Bounty rep came barging into the delivery room trying to sell me photos and demanding my email address; I was a bit younger and naive then and I went along with it, but looking back now I'm really pissed off about it and I don't want it happening again. I told my midwife that I don't want to see a Bounty rep and she pretty much laughed in my face and said that all of the midwives on the delivery ward would 'have a giggle about it'.

I feel absolutely stupid now. I know it's really a very insignificant thing but I wanted it on my notes so I wouldn't even have to think about it when I've had my baby. Was I being stupid asking her to put it on there?

Seems like a reasonable enough request to me TBH.

Anyway, hopefully if you don't get this on your notes you're older and more assertive now and tell the rep to go away.

Good luck with the birth!

I've typed it up onto my birth plan, followed by the phrase 'otherwise I can no longer be responsible for my actions or words'.

They can have a bloody good laugh about it if they want, but if someone specifically asks not to be approached I'm under the impression that they need to honour that?

The MW sounds a bit insensitive - what better way to make you feel even more uncomfortable?!

She wrote it on my notes while she was laughing to herself about it. I'm really worried the delivery suite midwives will all think I'm crazy now not that I'll care at the time I'm sure!

It was on my birth plan - be aware though, they just let the bounty reps wander around the wards so I was approached twice as obviously the reps don't look at your birth plan!

You may need to practice your firm "no thank you" in advance, they are sometimes pushy and when you're drugged and exhausted you're very vulnerable.

Yanbu, but I would hope that te bounty rep will not be passed your medical records, so I'm not sure the message will necessarily be passed on. Annoying, but I'm sure the bounty reps are used to being turned away so don't feel bad about just saying no thank you if one does show up.

She sounds awful. She might consider it insignificant but she's not the vulnerable one is she? FFS I get really pissed off at condescending HCPs. Unreasonable requests need to be gently countered. This is not unreasonable so it should be accommodated. Doesn't matter what her personal feeling is about how significant it is. Shouldn't figure. Try to ignore OP hopefully the delivery midwives will be nicer!

It's not actually that unusual as a request, I know several people who put it on their notes (and one who installed her own "No bounty reps allowed" sign on the door to her private room), and my midwife didn't seem at all surprised by it.

I can't see it helping they just walk around the wards as far as I know . I had a baby on Friday the rep came past saturday and asked if I wanted a pack I said no thank you she was very polite and went away.

the rights and wrongs aside these women are just doing a job at the end of the day A tiny part of me feels sorry for them as they must face some hostility in the course of the day.

Honestly it wouldn't have bothered me as much if she had waited until I was on the ward last time, but she came into the delivery room before I'd barely had a chance to get a shower and pull myself together. It's more that that I don't want, if it was a few hours later on the ward I wouldn't be as bothered!

I'm pretty sure they won't be able to read your notes so I don't think it'll make any difference. just practice saying 'no thank you' firmly and put it into practice! I must admit i always wonder what other maternity wards must be like. when i had my DD I was in for a week and saw one bounty rep, that's all. she gave me a goody bag thing and that was it! what else are they meant to do?

There is a petition to get rid of them.

P.S. Can you also take a moment to share the petition with others? It's really easy – all you need to do is forward this email or share this link on Facebook or Twitter: you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/stop-bounty-on-the-maternity-wards

I don't think it will make any difference because the Bounty reps wander the wards. I've never heard of one going into a delivery room.

I had that in my birth plan and on my notes. The post natal midwives were great about it and made sure I wasn't bothered (DH also stuck a note on the door of my private room). I'm really glad I did and that they respected it as I had a horrible fairly traumatic elongated labour ending in an emergency c section and struggled to get DD to latch for days after. I didn't even want family in let alone a bloody bounty rep. Do what works for you.

Go for it! I had a Bounty rep and a bloody photographer from a local company visit just hours after a C-section. It's so pushy and exploitative when new mum's are knackered after the birth. The photographer in particular - I felt guilt tripped into buying over priced pics of my newborn even though we had taken our own.

Its disrespectful and rude of the midwife to ridicule for this (you'd be within your rights to complain btw).

It was on my notes. It was treated with sympathy and understanding. I did not want it because I was already anxious. (anxiety being a health issue). Such a request should be taken seriously for this reason. It should be part of their safe guarding policy and risk assessment of allowing Bounty on the wards at all. All midwives should be fully aware of this.

Not ridiculous at all. It should really be an issue that is raised with the hospital tbh as something is going wrong there if you got that reaction.

The goody bags are ok, but they're really there to get your details so that they can send you all kinds of junk mail/sell your details to third parties. They'll often do this under the excuse of helping you fill in the child benefit forms but then they have all your info. I've heard a lot of stories about them being pushy/insensitive to new mums.

It's a reasonable request but I don't think it will make any difference- the bounty reps won't have access to your notes and they just seem to wander round the wards/rooms to pounce so I'd imagine that they wouldn't be told not to specifically approach you unfortunately

I quite agree. It should be an option to opt out, that way no ones time gets wasted. Most post natal wards have a whiteboard with mums and babies location/bay number, it would be easy to have it noted on there.

Although I am very surprised that a bounty rep was allowed into the delivery suite/labour ward??

Don't worry she might just have had an odd sense of humour. My NCT teacher is also a midwife and a calm earth mother type. She was almost apoplectic when I brought up the subject of these bounty women and said if it was up to her she'd throw every lay one of them out and that they have no place there. She said when she had both her children she told them to leave her alone. DH Is on sentry duty and has been told to keep them away from me. My friend had a baby a few weeks ago and one of them door stepped her with a clipboard making out she was official staff. Most of what they give you is absolute shite seemingly.

I can't believe this Bounty thing happens! I shall be practicing my roundhouse kick just in case one of these fuckers comes into my delivery room trying to flog me stuff.

got a colour printer?

I didn't have an issue with it. I was weary about bounty ladies having read about them here but all she did was hand out the packs and ask for a couple of details. Wasn't being pushy, no photographers were there. She looked like she won't say boo to a ghost tbh

I put it in my notes, because I was really anxious about it having read horror stories about them. The midwife who delivered me ran through my "birth plan" and she respected my wishes. The Bounty rep walked straight past me on the ward, but I don't know if the midwives mentioned to her to leave me alone, or if my evils were sufficient

There didn't appear to be any Bounty reps when I gave birth (at the Royal London). At least none came to talk to me and I was in hospital long enough. Or maybe my constant crying put them off!

Not unreasonable at all and I'm really annoyed on your behalf that your midwife found it so funny. There's such a put up and shut up attitude surrounding childbirth.

Agree with PP though that having it on your birth plan is probably not going to be failsafe as it relies on someone remembering to tell the bounty person when they arrive on the ward. I don't suppose they bother to stop and check if any issues before they start invading everyone's privacy.

Just be ready to firmly say no thank you and do not engage further if they try to be pushy.