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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To mention no Bounty reps on my pregnancy notes?

120 replies

LolaStarr · 18/10/2016 15:04

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?

OP posts:

Kit2015 · 18/10/2016 17:56

Ohh I so agree with you. No one warned me of bounty reps. Next thing I know some woman is taking pictures of my newborn and then showing me them with some lovely sappy music behind them... in my sleep deprived hormonal state I cried as I handed over my debit card. A few weeks later when they turned up I was a bit like wtf... I don't think it's fair to do that when you've just given birth.

steppedonlego · 18/10/2016 18:03

Are you sure she meant "have a giggle over it" at your expense? I'm a carer in a different setting, but I'm sure that if I worked on a maternity ward I would find it hilarious that one of the mums had the balls to tell one of the annoying bounty reps to bugger off and leave her alone, the amusement not at the mums expense, but at the bounty reps. They're pretty universally hated by midwives too, but they have no choice but to let them through, the thought would be "good for her" if you specified it in your birth plan.

Temporaryname137 · 18/10/2016 18:06

Must depend on which rep you have. I had read terrible things about them on here, but when I had DD (at Chelsea and West), the rep asked very politely for 5 minutes of my time, didn't give me a hard sell, and went away without having pushed for anything. Never heard from her again.

AcademicNerd · 18/10/2016 18:10

minipie I think the govt does, contracting Bounty reps to give out child benefit forms. I've heard stories that reps will try to convince women they won't get the form if they don't agree to hand over their details to Bounty, which is a load of balls.

superj · 18/10/2016 18:21

Just in case anyone's in doubt, you can download the child benefit form from the gov.uk website.
Had a home birth so no bounty Rep to give out the crappy bag of freebies...only just got off all the mailing lists from first time round

MadameJosephine · 18/10/2016 20:31

Please do, the more women who object the better as far as I am concerned. I'm a midwife and don't think they should be anywhere near vulnerable women

Bringmewineandcake · 18/10/2016 20:44

Bounty didn't turn up when I had DD2 almost 4 months ago so you might get lucky anyway!

PurpleCrazyHorse · 18/10/2016 20:44

I must give off an aura of pissed off-ness as with DD, they asked and I said 'no, my husband is a photographer', she just handed me a bag with no details taken. I was all ready to tell her I could get the child benefit form off the internet and I didn't need too. DD had a massive bruise on her head, squashed nose and was jaundiced, so TBH she wasn't in a great place for photos, even DH had to photoshop her slightly.

With DS, the Bounty lady went to the younger couple (post C-section, love her) and took loads of photos. Baby was their first so mum had beautiful new PJs, baby had cute babygros and a nice blanket. I was a second timer, so was in old PJs, DS had a girls babygro on and we were using a hospital blanket! Bounty lady totally blanked me

So... print out a sign and pin it on the curtains, or, like me, wear old PJs and look rough!

Sparklingbrook · 18/10/2016 20:51

Years ago now but I think it was Day 2 post birth that the Bounty rep turned up. She asked if she could come back the next afternoon to take pictures. I said yes as I knew I would be discharging myself the next morning.

I was only at the hospital about 5 hours with DC2 and no sign of them in that time.

DoYouRememberJustinBobby · 18/10/2016 21:03

She shouldn't have laughed at you, how unfair. It is a perfectly reasonable request.

I had the Bounty woman barge in not long after I had had DD1 talking about photos. When I said "no thanks" she said "you won't get the child benefit form if you don't take the pack and I need an email address to do that" to which I replied "you are either lying or seriously misinformed, please leave". The following day when I was on the ward she was taking photos of another baby and making snide comments about the mothers who had turned her away the entire time. She opened my curtain, saw it was me, rolled her eyes and clattered off making a racket but leaving my curtain open.

I then put in my notes for subsequent birth plans that I would make a formal complaint if I was approached by anyone other than a health care professional, porter or my birth partner. I haven't seen a Bounty woman since.

These kind of companies aren't allowed on other wards, so why on maternity wards? This is just another element of the anti-women/mother agenda. Women giving birth are only there so men can see the baby (and stay on the ward around vulnerable women) and so companies like Bounty can make money. How inconvinent.

selsigfach · 18/10/2016 21:04

New PJs for the post-natal suite? When you're leaking all over the place? Madness!

ImperialBlether · 18/10/2016 21:09

How are they allowed in the delivery rooms? And how are they allowed in the wards at 7 am? That's outrageous!

ColdTeaAgain · 18/10/2016 21:17

Totally agree Madame, if it because more common for women to refuse them on the wards then perhaps it would stop being worth their while. There is absolutely no reason why the child benefit form can't be handed out during pregnancy rather than waiting to pounce on women who have barely just got their breath back from giving birth.

ColdTeaAgain · 18/10/2016 21:18

*became

ArcticMumkey · 18/10/2016 21:25

Good on you!

I kept my curtains closed the whole time so they never 'got' me, have to say I was almost looking forward to giving them the heave ho!
Child benefit form printed off the gov.UK website.

GratuitousSaxandViolins · 18/10/2016 21:27

Where did the pp get that Bounty reps are paid £90k by the government?

They are employed by Bounty, the same private promotions company that own the Bounty website. Bounty make their money by companies paying them to promote their products and advertising on their website. My own company have been approached by Bounty asking us to put samples in their bags for an extortionate fee. Definitely nothing to do with the government.

I didn't have any hassle from a Bounty rep when I was in hospital for my two, but some of the things on this thread do sound horrendous, especially entering delivery rooms soon after delivery. Surely that is some sort of offence.

UnoriginalNN · 18/10/2016 21:27

I remember one came in after I'd had DD with the whole camera shebang:

"Is now a good time?"

"Nope"

"Will you be here tomorrow?"

"Sure" (knew we were being discharged imminently) weak arent I

SpotTheDuck · 19/10/2016 02:46

Gratuitous - bounty as an organisation is paid 90k by the government to distribute the child benefit forms, nobody's saying the individual reps get that money.

MrsGlam · 19/10/2016 05:02

I made my husband read the bounty threads on here before labour and he told her we weren't interested when she knocked on our door, luckily I was in the shower at the time but he's quite scary looking so glad he was with me!
Some of these stories are awful! They really shouldn't be on the wards.

MrEBear · 19/10/2016 07:16

I'm sure the MWs would laugh with you not at you.
Bounty get paid to distribute the child benefit forms, but they in turn PAY the NHS to access the wards.
I think it is disgusting that they were allowed in the delivery suite. I had one turn up and woke me up after I was on the ward. I'm still angry that they hassled me for details when I was at my most vulnerable.

To the mum who said she didn't qualify for child benefit, just be careful that you are getting your national insurance credits. If you are working it's not an issue but if you are a SAHM it is. They are automatically credited if you claim child benefit, I believe that the form has a box for you to tick that says you don't want to claim the money.

RochelleGoyle · 19/10/2016 07:40

I had my son in August and had to stay in hospital for three days afterwards. The Bounty rep came into my room twice in those three days and on neither occasion did she introduce herself as a Bounty rep. The first time, she came in talking about 'the photos', so it took a minute for the penny to drop before I told her no thanks. Then she came back the following day, whining about how she 'knows how to pose' the babies and could let me have one photo for free. She was given short shrift. I really hate the fact that these pushy women are given access to women at such a vulnerable time.

londonrach · 19/10/2016 07:41

I really dont get this bounty hate. I had to go and locate the bounty rep. It was a lovely relaxing experience she took photos of my dd. Dh and i about a week later chose one package for £49 which included all our thank you cards, huge photos for the grandparents and ourshelves and small photos for other members. At no point was i forced to buy anything. Within days the pack arrived with good quality photos and cards. Therefore i was able to srnd thank you cards out within 2 weeks and no stress if getting the cards. A friend who missed the bounty rep had to do two visits to the local photographer with a new born and pay more to get less. I thank mn for letting me such amazing service existed as i have lovely photos of my new born.

However op you can certainly say no to the rep if you dont want her, him.

OvariesBeforeBrovaries · 19/10/2016 08:34

I really dont get this bounty hate.

Can you not understand that although you had a good experience, the vast majority of people do not?

I've read on here about Bounty reps criticising babies; implying that mums don't love their babies if they don't buy the pictures; walking into the rooms of mums whose babies are in SCBU or have died at or shortly after birth and demanding to know where their baby is. After seeing the Bounty rep on my PN ward when I gave birth, I can believe it.

They should not be allowed onto the wards before visiting time; it's a deliberate tactic to get women at their most vulnerable without anyone there to advocate for them.

MrsGlam · 19/10/2016 08:50

You can't understand the bounty hate...Please go and read RueDeWakening's horrific experience of bounty!!
I am so soory Rue btw

Marynary · 19/10/2016 08:53

I think you have misinterpreted. I don't think they would be laughing at you at all (if that was the case she would hardly tell you). I'm sure the midwives don't like the bounty reps either and the situation is as described by steppedonlego.

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