just had a run in with the maternity ward bounty photographer

[StateofConfusion]

And having previously defended them and loved my pictures of my eldest children todays 'rep' has made me agree they need to be removed from wards!

She arrived originally before breakfast turned on the lights and opened curtains waking me and the other Mum up, then continued to talk over the peadiatrician who was checking my dd over.

Eventually she sulked off but apparently came back when I was asleep (how dare I?) Last time she came back as I'd just settled dd and was eating lunch which had just arrived.

I said No photos at the minute thanks she got most insistant that its for security reasons?? (I'm going home today) and said she'd just lean round and take them, dd was asleep on my lap in a v pillow whilst I ate. I said again, not right now I'm eating she left brochures and went off muttering quite loudly.

I'm hormonal so ofc this has upset me, but not as much as the first time mum across they way! WHY are these people allowed to just walk around a maternity ward being so fucking rude!

[SusieSausages]

quoteunquote

[JambalayaWarmMincePie]

No thanks.

[Florabeebaby]

Both my babies were premies and the second time a lady came over and asked for my details, looked around for a baby and then said 'oh, I'll come back if you get your baby back!!' IF!
The said baby was in NICU on CPAP...with my first baby no-one came to see me, I think they told them to stay away as I was a mess. DD was 8 wks early and very poorly.
But I agree, they are a complete nuisance and the packs are crap. End of.

[ariane5]

When I had ds2 (he was v ill and in intensive care) the bounty woman came round asking where my baby was.she came back every day (twice on one day) to see if had him with me, I was a wreck and terribly upset but she would fling my door open and say all cheerfully "baby back yet?!!" I just wanted her to go away.

[teacherwith2kids]

We had an amusing run-in with one when DS was born.

We moved to the US 6 weeks after DS was born, so needed photos urgently for passport and visa applications (DS is a December babe, so there was very little time due to closures of the relevant ofices over Christmas). So I allowed her to take a photo, but asked for passport photos only. 'We don't do that as a package' etc etc ... so I asked her to ring her head office to get a price. Came out as cheaper than the photo booth (think they hadn't had that request very often so hadn't worked out the correct extortionate mark-up), so paid her in cash then and there.

Asked for my address - said 'well, you won't want that because we're moving out 3 weeks tomorrow to move abroad, that's why we wanted the passport pics'. NOT a happy lady.....

[jinglebellyalltheway]

Catching this is what they actually do

at prime PND time they sell your details to home security companies who send you junk mail/calls about how your family are in danger if you don't care enough to fit their alarms

before each birthday they send junk mail about kids party stuff relevant to the child's age, even if that child died and you asked them to stop

they make a fortune out of your details

they imply that you NEED their pack for CB form (you don't)
they imply that the photos are needed for "security reasons" (they're not)
There are fuck all "freebies" in it anyway, its all advertising for top priced brands

[Pooka]

The bounty woman who came round after dc1 was born wasnt too bad - I said no thanks as soon as she started on about photos and off she went without any argument.

Am absolutely shocked at other peoples experiences with them - I definitely agree tht they have no place on a post natal ward. However, living in an area where the PCT is bust, I can't imagine how the shortfall if they were booted out would be made up without further cuts to services. They should never have been allowed to get their foot in the door in the first place.

With dc2 I was only in hospital from 9-11pm. With ds2 had home birth, so thankfully missed the nonsense with two out of three births.

[5dcsandallthelittlesantahats]

I just say "ive brought my own camera" and refuse to let them look at the baby they go away then.

[FreePeaceSweet]

I advise any expectant mothers who don't want photos taking to make sure they have a safety pin and some paper with them so they can pin a note to the curtains.

[Pooka]

She did seem to be shocked that I just said no. Made me wonder afterwards whether everyone has the photos done.

[jinglebellyalltheway]

oh and they do it at times when you have no "back up" - i.e. they come before visiting times so your family can't tell them to fuck off if they wont go with your 3rd "no thank you"

[FellowshipOfFestiveFellows]

I reported one at my hospital to Bounty. Had a nightmare c-section with pfb dd, had a gases bottle still attached so was not in the mood.

Guy comes over and really pushes at me. I told him, politely then less so, to feck off.

His parting shot to me was it was "sad when a Mum doesn't love their kid enough to have a picture taken" (had decent camera to do it myself). Then to another Mum who said yes told her that "some people say no as their kids are ugly babies". Really loud, in my direction At which point he was lucky I was bed bound or I'd have spanked him one..

The reason I said no was because when my god daughter was born 3 months before, he'd got her name down wrong and spelt everything with the wrong spelling. It was printed on everything at the front with date of birth etc. So I didn't wish to spend god knows how much to get the same shoddy crap.

[Vagaceratops]

They are vultures dressed up as ladies, like the slitheen in Doctor Who.

[lyndie]

I was trying to bf 1 day old DS when she whipped the curtain round. So rude, refuses to speak to them for subsequent births.

I HATE the way they promote branded baby items to lower income parents who don't realise supermarket brands are cheaper and completely fine.

[Glitterknickaz]

Well I DID used to be regularly banned from their forums...

[NotGeoffVader]

Thankfully I didn't have any problems with them. They tried to take photos but I said that my DH was a photographer and they buggered off. (Maybe I looked fierce after 48hrs labour?)

[Yawnarama]

I 'know' a bounty lady in real life and yep she is just as you would expect a bounty lady to be, and I can imagine her being involved in any number of the scenarios described on this thread.

She also tittle tattles confidential information about who has had babies and what they've called them, and whether they had a c-section or instrumental delivery.

[BrigitBigKnickers]

I was disgusted with the Bounty photographer who arrived to take my DDs picture. DD was screaming her head off at the time and the dirty old hag stuck her knuckle in dds mouth to shut her up.

The picture was terrible and we never bought it.

[FreePeaceSweet]

Reeeeeeally Glitterknickaz? Interesting... :o We may have something in common

[thegriffon]

This has pissed me off for years, the Bounty website boasts about having unrivalled access to new parents. I made a Freedom of Information request asking how much Bounty paid the hospital for allowing them access to mothers. Was told £5 if photos taken and £1 for every Bounty pack given out. Other areas may vary.

[Fluffycloudland77]

The midwives probably hate them too.

Do you all know that if medical photography is used you have to sign a consent form stating what the photo is for etc?

We have to get permission to photograph foot ulcers. It's an A4 size form. Verbal consent isnt enough.

[DontmindifIdo]

I don't know anyone who has a good word for them, at best it's that they had an unoffensive one. I guess woman are so vunerable then and have so much else going on you don't get round to complaining. My DH had to tell one who came round 3 times to go away.

I hadn't thought about putting "make the Bounty rep leave me alone" on my birth plan this time round, but it's a good idea and I will be doing that!

[BartletForTeamGB]

I had a home birth with DS so the MW gave me the Bounty pack and I didn't need to give any details. I hadn't registered for any of the packs though.

I was induced with DD after she died, so didn't have any dealings with Bounty after that and hadn't registered for anything.

But, if anyone is in the sad situation of having registered for one of these lists, you can be taken off them by registering with a similar service to the telephone preference service:

www.mpsonline.org.uk/bmps/

[DuchessofMalfi]

I had no idea who they were when I was in hospital after DD was born. Feeling rough after an emergency c-section, and a womb infection, I let the Bounty photographer take a picture of DD. When it finally arrived a couple of weeks later it was the worst photo I'd ever seen, so we sent it back.

When DS was born I just said no thanks when approached. Still got all the bounty packs and stuff.

[DontmindifIdo]

Actually, what would happen if we started a bit of a campaign, trying to get everyone to put "make the bounty rep leave me alone and do not allow them to access any information about me or my baby" on their birth plan?