Is it true?

[rainbow1982]

That when you've just given birth some stupid bounty woman comes round trying to take photos of ur child and selling them to you? A relative told me she'd heard about it today and it's making me angry thinking that this is even allowed to happen? I'm 23 weeks and I will lose it if someone pushy tries to do this at the most vulnerable time in your life? It's disgusting!!!!! 😡😡

I was asked if I'd like some photos, I think the first few are free and then you choose if you'd like the others. It took about ten minutes and I have four beautiful pics of baby boy at a day old, and one with me and DH holding baby, both looking tired but so full of love- it's a really nice picture.

I don't think they're looking for an argument if you politely decline, though?

I saw one with DS1, but not with DS2 - don't know if they'd been stopped from coming to the hospital or she just missed me. First time I just took the pack and politely declined the photos. Then pretended to be asleep when she came round a second time.

It happened with me. First time she was pushy and said she needed details to register for child benefit so was told to fuck off. Second time round, they came round with the same crap but she was given the death stare and informed she had no bearing on child benefit and registering the birth and she was a con artist. I informed the whole bay bounty preyed on women at their most vulnerable. I don't react well to anaesthetics and meds for c section and had the effects days later still.

It's nowhere near as invasive as you're imagining it to be!
I had both my dds pictures taken, DD1's turned out lovely & I still keep one in my purse even though she's grown up now.
Dd2's weren't brilliant so we didn't have them, no problem.
If you don't want them done just politely decline.
I'd warn you against getting so worked up about this, there will be plenty of things that happen during your time in hospital that you won't have total control over.

Wolfiefan because I'm a first time mum, nervous as hell about everything and fully entitled to be angry about whatever I dam well choose. I've just read about a bounty rep going into a room harassing a poor lady who's baby who had just been still born.

I spent four days on the postnatal ward and the Bounty woman is the least of your worries! My experience was being poked and prodded and harassed by all sorts whilst simultaneously not being able to access support when needed. I slept less than one hour a night for four nights in a row, but I do have some nice photos to show for it :)

Its happened with all three of mine and when I politely declined she started talking about Child Benefit forms, hinting that it had to be done through her! Very manipulative, particularly for vulnerable young women.

If you’re going to be this anxious and angry about something so small then life is going to be very hard. You sound very aggressive and this reaction seems way OTT.

My experience of the Bounty rep was that she was very pushy. I had a baby in NICU and she kept coming back to see if DS has been discharged to take a photo which I said I wasn't keen on.

What I find more worrying is a private company having access to women at a vulnerable time and collecting their personal data. The full use of the data is not fully explained by the reps, probably because they don't know themselves where it is being sold. I can't believe the NHS allow this to happen.

Thompl16 I agree it seems totally wrong as u say for a private company to access ladies at such an emotional time and the manipulative tricks of mentioning child benefit etc is just downright naughty!

To the previous poster who said I seem very aggressive these are simply words on a keyboard, they can be taken by one person as aggressive and another as just speaking my mind. It's not aggressive to say something is disgusting when I'm simply thinking of ladies who are not strong enough to refuse such an invasion, I have a shy relative due to have her baby who is very nervous about this now and it angers me it has to even be a factor. I'm fully aware they'll be much bigger things to worry about, it's not affecting me or anything so dramatic, I was just venting and this is the perfect place to do that!! If you're prepared for the few 'judgy julies' on here! 🙄🙄👊🏼

Only in a hospital. There are other places to give birth.

Just say, "Sorry, my husband's a photographer" and you won't see her for dust.

Not if you have a baby at the weekend or on a bank holiday though, at my local hospital. So I never got the opportunity of a photo. I got the free samples which I gave away to another woman on the ward. There was so much crap going on around me on that ward, a bounty women would have been the least of my problems.

Have you considered a home birth, OP?

I'd say it might be worth speaking to your midwife about your anxiety levels, your reaction to hearsay about something which may or may not occur is MASSIVELY over the top.

I get that it's a scary time and people tell you the worst bits but you shouldn't really spend the next 3 months being angry about other people's issues. Not good for you or your baby.

I don't like those people selling in hospitals, and it doesn't seem right to intrude in this way, enabled by the NHS. Who are clearly paid for allowing it.

It's like the tampax people in schools. Peanuts given to the school and a captive audience 😡

I hate them. I had an emcs with my first, was on meds that made me I'll and she harrrassed me. I had my own room and she was in hourly.

My 2nd child was in NICU and I was on the ward and she wasn't interested in even talking to me.

It happened to me op.

I had to stop her mid photo shoot because my baby needed feeding and I'd been put under strict instruction by midwives to feed him immediately and not wait due to a difficult start with breastfeeding. The bounty lady didn't like that at all and was extremely rude to me even though I'd given birth bloody less than 24 hours ago! I stood up for my son and stopped the photo shoot right away.

We did buy one of the photos she did take because it's a beautiful photo and I'm glad I have it - it's just the aggressive approach that angers me!

I think it's awful. I was unwell after DC1 and she was very pushy. DH had to be quite firm and tell her to buzz off.

Second time I just said no way. Then she pushed a vulnerable young mum into it. I heard everything , they are very pushy, don't explain it well at all and this woman was having a photo shoot she barely I agreed to. I almost wept when she left and the mum said to the dad 'god £125 is a lot, but we can use the money mum gave us for a pram'.

I was so HAPPY that the bounty lady came around! I purposely put money aside for the photos and I so cherish them. They're well taken, have a beautiful backdrop of the story - she had to come back due to complications and was so patient (yes I know it's her job).
These are the photos on display still 6 years later. Yes I have other photos but these are my treasures as they represent the start of our journey.

I appreciate not every parent wants them. But you have a voice and can simply say no thank you. The bounty staff I saw were far from pushy.

This happened when I had my first DD eight years ago. She was a complete pain in the backside. She kept calling me Mum and saying, "you made her".

This happened to me. The bounty rep left me a free pack at my bed on the postnatal ward. Then proceeded to find me on special care where I was visiting my baby so she could get my details. I didn't have the strength to tell her to fuck off, sadly. There was an article in the guardian on this a few years ago which is informative.

Bounty operate in the hospital I've given birth in three times, I never saw them, they didn't approach me. If they had have done I would have said no thank you. My babies were born at all different times of day, morning, afternoon and evening, and I had an overnight with two of them post birth, so not like I was in and out with no opportunity for them to come and try to sell the photo shoot to me. Try to put it out of your mind for now, and perhaps mention to midwives and ward staff that you don't want any contact with them if you are sure that they are on ward while you are there.

They were on the ward, but very pleasant and I just politely declined. It’s no biggy!

My hospital banned Bounty between me having my first and second baby. I was really disappointed as I wanted a professional photo of my newborn and the pack I got when I had my first had some good stuff in it. If you're not interested just say so and they'll move on. You are as much entitled not to get a photo as people like me are to get one.

This happened to me but to be honest she was really nice, not pushy but I did buy a photo and it's one of my most treasured