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!

Once the epetition is up I will update this thread and also put it on the MN fb page

I didn't see her with DS2,but with DS1, DH just waggled his vair fancy DSLR at her, and said, 'no thanks, I'm a photographer.'

12 years ago when I had DD, I was v young and didn't know what was going on after botched epidural lumber puncture etc, couldn't even sit up. Let the Bounty woman do the photos and signed things, didn't understand what was going on ended getting some framed photos through the post that were less than good and I couldn't afford to pay for them as I was an unemployed single Mum= and ended up getting debt collectors round for the money.
Nice.

The Bounty Rep was fine when I was in having DS but the fact that she was a pleasant, not pushy lady is besides the point. I had no idea who she was, who she worked for, what the whole Bounty situation was and they end up getting your address, email address, all sorts of stuff off you before you really know what you're doing, giving you a load of forms that you can download and print off online yourself for child benefit, trying to flog photos to you, bombarding you with stupid marketing emails afterwards until you twig on to unsubscribe and I just don't understand why they are allowed onto a hospital ward to hustle vulnerable, tired mums into signing up to stuff. Seems totally immoral and, as I said, while my own experience was more or less ok, I would def sign a petition to have the practice stopped. It's not cool, people. Not cool.

ban bounty i say

Thanks for the warning x

I had no idea about Bounty. Photos were taken of DD and she kept pushing me to buy the 'special Peter's which would have been ££££ I didn't realise that you don't have to give your address. I got the photos but ordered them online months later as silly as it sounds, I couldn't bear the thought of photos of newly born DD being deleted. Saved £50 compared to what she was pushing me into spending. Next time I definitely won't be having any photos etc. She pushed a teenage mum into buying a ££££ set when the mum said she wouldn't be able to afford it until payday bounty lady was convincing her to buy them.
I thought you had to let them photograph your baby. I would never let them near me again. Photos were shit in regards to the price. Better photo printing at Boots instant kiosks.

I don't have children (and am not likely to) but I'll happily sign the petition and pass it on. Women shouldn't be hassled when they've just given birth - and even more when they've lost babies.

Discussions of the day people! We had the photos done and we did buy them because it was actually quite good. However we received the pack through with the ds name spelt wrong and the wrong date of birth, second pack came, still wrong, eventually the third back was right. But we've been left with more newborn photos of ds than we know what to do with! I was handing them put to everyone who even glanced at ds!

The lady did try the "you need the pack to claim cb" but I had the savvy to put her right on that little inaccuracy.

I would happily pay my NHS trust £5 to keep the vultures away from me if I have another dc.

I'm home now MrsR just grandparents to fend off now

I can't believe how horrendous some of these reps have been, its bloody awful, like I said we had the pics for ds and dd1 as we actually liked them and the rep was nice, but then she would have been we handed over our details, at the very least they need to only be allowed at set times and if a curtains shut they shouldn't bloody barge in, I always sit with my curtains open but I'd shut mine today to avoid her! Wish my dp had been there, he was fetchind dd1 from nursery, he'd have put her firmly in her place, maybe him not being there is why I was the one she persisted with...

These stories are terrible! I totally agree they should be banned.

I was in no fit state to make any kind of decision about money when I was in hospital after DS was born. I was only saved because DP very firmly told the rep to go away and leave me alone. What if he hadn't been there when she came round?

Taking advantage of women at their most vulnerable is disgusting, and should really be stopped.

What an upsetting thread. I had no idea. (Clearly the owner of an ugly baby.)

Thanks for that link Mrs Reiver, my hospital don't seem to allow the photographers jn which is reassuring. I hate this sort of stuff but can imagine being unable to resist when weepy and hormonal.

It's also particularly bad because with the speedy discharge after birth that they have these days, it's more likely to be people with problems - either mother or baby - who are staying in for longer periods of time and so more likely to be hassled (and possibly repeatedly) when least able to handle it.

State, congratulations on the birth of your little one

I have read this thread with increasing horror.

These are salesmen/women wandering around maternity units with no supervision approaching women at the most vulnerable time of their lives.

I will gladly sign the petition when it goes live.

I have sent a link of this thread to bbc radio 4 woman's hour as I think it would make an interesting story for them and raise more awareness of the petition.

I never met the Bounty lady when I had dd, I came back from the toilet and a pack had appeared on my bed. I had no idea what it was as I'd not heard anything about them so I was quite pleased really. It was nearly 17 years ago and the packs must have been better then as I remember there was quite a lot in there. I can't remember all of it but there was sudocreme, a packet of washing powder and a big bottle of Johnsons baby shampoo. DD didn't have much hair so I was still using it when she was 3 and at playgroup .
A lady did come round asking about photos but in my addled state I didn't connect the two. She wasn't pushy though.

The bounty lady only came to me once, but as DD had a whacking bruise on her head due to headbutting my pelvis for 40mins. I kindly told her my professional photographer husband would take photos when the bruise has gone! Slight exaggeration as DH isn't quite a professional but had a camera far in excess of the Bounty lady's

She didn't come back to me but she did come back to others on the ward. I did give my details for the pack (didn't know much about Bounty then) and had a few phone calls after DD was born but I was feeling much better by then so sorted them out.

I don't think they should barge in and open curtains or go into side wards. They should be polite and sensitive, and you shouldn't be compelled into signing anything on the ward. Fine to take photos but they should simply send you a proof in the post (or print one out there and then) and send you home with an order form. If their photos are so brilliant and the packages such good value, then they will surely sell themselves!!

marking my place before I go to bed so I can sign the petition too.

Horrible stories on here

Definitely on for the petition. It's shocking that they can pester new mums and get you to sign up for paying for photos when you're either full of pregnancy hormones or in some cases, straight up, ill. Someone said it up thread, what with lots of people going home after just a few hours, it's often unwell mums and babies that are the ones getting hassled as they're the ones on the wards.

How very odd, after reading this thread I was half-assedly looking for jobs when I came across one for a Bounty Newborn Photographer. Incredibly the job description bandies about words like 'conscientious', 'kind', 'caring' and my personal favourite after reading this thread - 'RESPECTFUL'.

I had no experience of this, I was given a Bounty pack but I was so out of it after DD's birth it could have been handed to me by a two-headed Jabbawocky and I wouldn't have noticed.

Am so shocked and sad to hear some of the stories above. I am being brave and admit I work for bounty. I love my job so much, yes I give out bags and take photos but always tell the Mums it is optional and I never try to sell them anything but give them a code so they can look at the photos when they get home. The majority of mums are pleased to see a friendly face that isn't rushed off her feet and I have made so many friends as I was lucky enough to be there in those first few precious hours. Sometime I just get the mums a cup of tea or sit with the baby whilst they had a shower, and no, we are not paid for this before anyone asks. I am very surprised and saddened to hear of your experiences with Bounty. I would be surprised if those people still work for the company. It is true that they raise a lot of money for the NHS and has help set up numerous charities such as Tommys. It has been hard reading tonight some of the comments so felt I just had to say please don't tarnish us all with the same brush.

the trouble is, dontbeatmeup, that there are obviously lots of bounty ladies that aren't very nice and friendly and are only interested in pushing things.

Would you mind answering whether you have sign-up targets or are paid "piecemeal" ?

I had no idea Bounty were so intrusive. I have 5 children - my first dd (many years ago now!) was photographed by a Bounty photographer, mum told me it was a good idea! DD1 looked a bit like a monkey in them, but mum got them as a gift and we now use them to make fun of DD1.
My next 2 children were born at weekends and so no Bounty people around. I didn't even think about it. Then when I had DD2, 2 years ago, it was a weekday! When he was born, he was a bit squashed and bruised and DH and I both agreed he was a bit "funny looking" but still very cute and of course, perfect to us. Then the Bounty woman appeared, gave us her spiel, and got the camera out. I blurted out, "Oh, I don't want any photos of him, he doesn't look very nice does he? We might get some photos done later, if he improves."
She was speechless, dropped some leaflets on the bed and left, giving me disgusted glances as she walked out.
In hindsight, I did sound like the worst mother in the world but I just meant that he wasn't at his best and I would rather have photos of him in a week or so when his birth injuries had settled!
Now hearing all these stories I'm glad I stopped her in her tracks! How dare these people try to manipulate new parents and force them to spend money like this. Most brand new babies are a bit battered and squashed and there are so many amazing local photographers who take newborn pics in Anne Geddes style and I would certainly rather hand my money over to them (if I wanted newborn photos!) and have some arty pics when the baby was at his/her best and settled at home.
Imagine if reps from baby formula companies or baby food companies were to come onto the wards and try to sign new mums up to their brand? That's just as unethical!!

Frankly I don't think it matters if you are the 'nice' bounty lady or the 'nasty' one. Its intrusive and you shouldn't be there, since you are trying to sell ON A HOSPITAL WARD TO POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE PEOPLE UNINVITED. I'd have a hard time being civil to anyone I found out who did that for a living as its exploitative regardless of how you behave.

Lots of people don't want door to door salesmen and won't open the door to them and yet you can't escape them on a hospital ward. Its sick, sick, sick.

That's an interesting thought, oldwoman. If, let's say, SMA offered the NHS £20 per woman that they were able to give a (subtly underming) "breastfeeding lesson" to in the postnatal ward would they take it ?

Isn't there something in law about crafting contracts with someone who is vulnerable?