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!

essentially Bounty are a data collection agency. The bounty packs/friendly bounty ladies are simply window dressing to try and make it less immoral

very good OhDearNigel

I've just emailed my local maternity ward to enquire whether Bounty reps are allowed on there - it's all private rooms on post-natal so they would have to knock on the door and be let in anyway, and I plan to put it in my birth plan that I do NOT consent to them having access to me. I don't remember having a major issue last time, she couldn't take a photo as DD was having her hearing test done and she didn't bother to return (thank goodness) - but I don't want to be approached this time if it's avoidable.

Leverette - upthread, the Bounty lady posting on here, Dontbeatmeupitsxmas, said that she was CRB checked.

latecomer, marking place. had similar awful experience to some of those mentioned above.

"Possible stupid question here - what are these community notes that are supposed to be in the first Bounty folder you get?

Is this the same as the handheld maternity record that has all your pregnancy health details written up in?"

its the notes you have with you throughout the pregnancy, and take home with you and then in to any appointments or hospital visits, as opposed to the hospital notes that stay in the hospital IYKWIM

Mine are a stapled A4 booklet that gets written in every time I see a midwife, there are pages for sticking on other things like letters from consultant and blood results etc.

it does not need a folder. It's pretty self contained. It was inside a bounty folder and all the other stuff in the folder was junk sponsored by top priced brands

I have put mine in a folder of my own, but it doesn't need one!

well, Bounty's current "offer" is £44.99:

one 10 x 8" photograph
one 7 x 5" photograph
two 6 x 4" photograph (standard snapshot size)
one keyring
one wallet card
four thankyou cards

Using Boots and my own photo I could get that lot for £6.76 (only thing I couldn't find on there was a wallet card)

Thanks jingle.

I got given those notes by the receptionist at my GP surgery - loose and in no kind of folder at all - when I went in to make my booking in appointment. And then I put them in a folder of my own when I got home.

Got a separate Bounty pack later from the midwife without an extra set of blank notes inside!

My maternity notes are in an A4 plastic clip file this time. I put the Bounty plastic folder in the bin last time and left my yellow card and paper note folder out on its own. Nobody "needs" the Bounty folder or the Bounty pack.

can anyone confirm whether their bounty packs have included anything from a formula company ? I can't remember (it was 3 years ago now) and the Analytical Armadillo blog says about sending off for Aptamil stuffed toys.

If this is the case surely this is a clear breach of the WHO guidelines and the NHS' own breastfeeding policies ?

another Mn thread

is there a link to the petition? i searched for it on the website but can't find it.

thankfully i can't really remember much about the bounty lady who left me a pack. she may or may not have asked if we wanted photos but i was so zonked from all the painkillers and severe anaemia that i can not recall much about my time on the postnatal ward!!

they sound like a right bunch of twats though. can't believe the harassment some people have had :(

I think a big issue is also the fact that the "Bounty lady" is paid on a commission basis. Like any other commission paid sales person they will generally be pushy, often obnoxious.

There is no need for them to follow the Bounty code of Conduct, how many new mums/dads real feel up to/remember to complain.

And hospital staff are already woefully overstretched, they do not have the time to monitor Bounty and see if they are breaking all the rules.

The petition could take up to 7 days to appear on the website Palaver, but when a link is available it will be posted here.

State, congratulations btw :o

I just threw the folder anyway, and put mine in a clear plastic clip folder. I only wanted a folder incase anything gets loose from the bits they stick in. Otherwise, it doesn't really need a folder.

thanks MrsReiver i will be signing!!

hopefully i'll be more with it when we have our next DC and i can tell them in no uncertain terms to bugger off. even more hopefully they won't be allowed on wards by then!

I wish I had community notes like you all seem to have, mine are in a plastic folder and yet bits still keep falling out. I live in terror of losing my appointment cards or the sheet with my name and address stickies on.

Dontbeatmeup. You are enraging me!! Seriously??!! "I check every morning for mums who have had c sections and need to rest"

Really??!! Then why the fuck did I have 6 "visit" from two separate Bounty folk, the first less then 3 hours after an emcs and a 52 hour labour. This followed by a further 5 visits in the next 3 hours.

And no I didn't buy and of your shit and no I did not believe your less than charming colleague who told me she needed my details or I would not be able to claim CB.

That was at UCH. Had DS at the Portland and no Bounty fecker there. Which was nice.

Can't wait to sign that petition.

Marking place to sign the petition when it arrives!

As far as they key issue of Bounty's presence on the maternity wards goes, I don't personally think it matters a whole lot whether the Bounty rep is 'nice', 'polite' or checks if you've had a section. To me, it is just 101% inappropriate and wrong for a sales rep from a private company to (a) be permitted to wander a publicly funded hospital ward in order to make sales and collect data and (b) for this to be presented as a compulsory part of labour and delivery in an NHS hospital.

The Bounty rep I met last time wasn't rude to me - but she did collect my personal details from somewhere (not from me or with my consent) and they were sold on judging by the amount of junk mail I received for a full year after DD was born. That is not right.