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MNHQ

NOW CLOSED: Have you given birth in a UK NHS Hospital in the last year or so? Please complete a short survey for MNHQ....

121 replies

AnnMumsnet · 29/05/2013 09:37

We want to know what all MNers think about Bounty reps on NHS Wards.

If you are a UK Mumsnetter who has given birth in a UK NHS hospital in the last couple of years - whether or not you had contact with a Bounty Rep post-natally - please complete this short survey.

This survey has already been sent to the MN Research Panel - please only do the survey once.

When answering, please think about the most recent birth you have experienced in a UK NHS hospital.

Everyone who completes the survey and adds their details at the end will be entered into a prize draw, in which one Mumsnetter will win a £50 Amazon voucher .

Click here to complete the survey

Thanks, MNHQ

OP posts:
childcarehell · 29/05/2013 14:16

We don't have reps, the midwives (or I think assistant/ nurse?) are pushy with packs. In the hospital waiting room one circulates with leaflets and a pen! She tries to make you, thrusts the pack/ pen in your hand and keeps returning until you have filled it all in! Great I'm sure if you're waiting for a scan that may be bad news.

After birth I think I saw the rep this time, someone not in uniform waltzed in and said 'is it ok to come in' I growled at her 'no, it wasn't ok, bye' (couldn't latch and not in the mood' and she popped off, but there was a pack on the chair outside.

LillethTheCat · 29/05/2013 14:21

done.

Im annoyed with myself for just going along with Bounty the 2 times I saw them. Wish I had known about them before having DS 8 years ago. Its only after reading threads on MN that has made me realise what they actually do. Im angry with myself for not telling them to go away, I usually do with sales people.

CinnabarRed · 29/05/2013 14:26

Done.

I found question 11 hard to answer - I found getting married, changing my name and moving house to be effective in terms of not receiving any more of their crappy mail!

One of the best things about having a homebirth for DS3 was not having to deal with the sodding Bounty rep.

TheDetective · 29/05/2013 14:44

I couldn't answer question 11 - I have never given Bounty my details. Can it be amended?

I'm a midwife, and a new mum. Where I work the lady who does the Bounty packs, and the photography (different company) are such lovely people. But it annoys me to the ends of this earth. On the PNW it is busy enough as it is, without them going around too. You have midwives doing their work with mums and babies, paeds doing baby checks, hearing screeners doing hearing checks, doctors doing their rounds and reviews, HCA's doing their work and offering bath demos to parents, there are the visiting hours, breastfeeding peer supporters. It is just endless.

When I had my baby in November, I had planned a homebirth for many many reasons. Ended up a hospital birth. I was transfered to the PNW at 5am. I was concentrating on BF, and keeping my baby warm (he had a low temp). By 11am I was cracking up, I'd had so many interruptions. I'd just managed to fall asleep, when my curtains were pulled back, and I was told off for having them shut in the day (well it was my night time so piss off!). I was naked on my bottom half for goodness sake! (Due to catheter and bleeding really heavily).

I think if at that point a Bounty rep or any other commercial rep had come in to me, I would have packed my bags, catheter and all, and run out screeching while clutching my newborn baby and naked arse.

There is no need for it. It offers no benefits to new mums and babies in any shape or form. What mums need is a relaxed, caring, safe environment to get to know their new babies, and recover from what is a pretty traumatic event (lets be honest, even straight forward births are traumatic to the body alone!).

It isn't right, and it isn't fair.

CelticPromise · 29/05/2013 15:34

Done.

I hate Bounty. It is disgraceful that they are allowed access to the wards.

bigkidsdidit · 29/05/2013 15:35

I've done it, but when I pressed 'submit' the site went offline. Don't know if it registered...

TallyGrenshall · 29/05/2013 15:53

Done. The rep when I had DS never once spoke to me, despite me being there for a week and walking past me several times. I presumed it was because DS was in SCBU so they couldn't harass me for pictures of a baby that wasn't with me, but after hearing that they offered to go up to NICU - maybe she just didn't like the look of me

Although, maybe the MW's and Nurses told her to leave me the fuck alone. Grin

GrumpyKat · 29/05/2013 15:54

Done. I wish I'd known about them before I me them. I was so shattered and stunned and she manhandled dd about for the photos. They were rubbish too.

Forgetfulmog · 29/05/2013 15:57

Done Smile

TallulahBetty · 29/05/2013 16:41

Done. I think it's a disgrace that people, especially a private company, can invade women's privacy like this at (one of) the most vunerable time of their lives. The one after DD's birth was pushy and paid no heed to my saying that DD had to stay in her incubator unless feeding or being changed. It took DH (more forceful than me at the best of times, especially then) to politely, then fiercely, ask her to leave us alone Shock

wannabedomesticgoddess · 29/05/2013 16:54

Done. I agree with all other posters.

I only got pics done with DD1. The woman wouldnt even let me get her looking decent (just after a nappy change) and the photos were crap.

Second time and I only gave my details because I was too tired to argue. She was in the way of the hearing check and the mw talking to me about contraception and SIDS risks.

Ridiculous that they are allowed to do this.

Perspective21 · 29/05/2013 17:09

Also done. Another mother here with baby in NICU and still getting the sales patter! I had to explain it was parents only visiting when she offered to pop down and take his photo! Where was her sense? My baby was covered in wires and tubes, awaiting surgery, why would I let a stranger take his photo? Just thought back to that time now and feel angry in a way I couldn't articulate then. Our family was having a very difficult time and she was almost rubbing salt in the wounds. She didn't understand how painful it was to not have my baby in his plastic hospital cot. Also we were worrying about surgery and coping with news of DS and thinking of older children at school etc... Now I am angry that she didn't stop and think.

Fortunately a sensitive MW found me a Child Benefit form, I completely forgot about that aspect.

Knittingnovice · 29/05/2013 17:17

When I had DS in 2008 he had a forceps mark, the bounty lady told me she would come back to take his photo when it had faded.Hmm

I can't remember what happened with DD1 in 2010, but with DD2 who is 6 weeks old, DH had just shown up with his fancy camera, th bounty lady took one look at it and didn't even offer the photo service, when I told her I didn't need any more clutter and only wanted the CB form, she told me that I NEEDED the money of nappy's vouchers - no I don't I use clothSmile

EthelredOnAGoodDay · 29/05/2013 17:27

Done. Agree with all posts above, totally disagree with the reps being allowed access and it actually makes me quite angry thinking about it all. I was bitten first time with DD (2009) although I didn't buy the terrible, over priced photos because a) they were crap and B) my DB is a photographer.
I was though still receiving junk mail two years after DD was born... Grrrr..

So when DS was born in March I very curtly told the rep that I didn't want his photo taken and I would download the child benefit forms from the Internet. It was quite funny really as I'd really psyched myself up for it! Grin

SwissDutchy · 29/05/2013 18:06

I had pictures taken by bounty. The rep (as far as I can remember) was quite friendly and she explained things.
But tbh after a very long induction process and 3 nights of no sleep, it all went by in a blur.
I am however very happy with the pics even though they cost a fortune Smile

RubyrooUK · 29/05/2013 18:33

The Bounty lady was fine when I had DS2 in March. She accepted that I didn't want a pack and said bye nicely. I resented her turning up when I was busy with my new baby in a medical environments and in pain, but she was fine herself.

The one when I had DS1 was awful. I had a horrific birth in which the baby nearly died and I had emergency surgery afterwards. I was still in recovery (not even on the ward!) when she came round. I said I didn't want a pack - was feeling incredibly shocked and in pain - and she laid it on thick about how I wouldn't get my Child Benefit forms and how it was really important. I barked something to DH about not giving any details and she was quite shirty and said it wasn't just marketing. (Ahem.)

I just can't understand why Bounty are allowed to operate when women are at their most vulnerable and often very ill. If it is a vital money spinner for hospitals and very important to them, they should be offering packs on discharge rather than during your stay. Or leaving a pack in each cubicle where some new mums might find samples etc useful.

Parents buy masses of products so it shouldn't be that hard to get lots of people to try samples and so on and if they have a positive experience, they will be likely to buy them. If I was a company using Bounty, I would be worried reading this thread. I wouldn't want to be associated with hassling new parents. Marketing doesn't work better when you make your potential customers feel hostile!

nohalfmeasures · 29/05/2013 18:57

Mine are too old- we just had a form to fill out but there was no pushy rep. I'm assuming Mumsnet knows that Radio4's You and Yours did a slot on it today . I only caught the end of it, but the NCT raised it as an issue, and the Bounty person just harped on about NCT people not representing the all demographics of mums. You can catch it on iplayer.

thereonthestair · 29/05/2013 19:05

Another experience of bounty when ds was in nicu here. The individual lady was quite polite and accepted the no fuck off ds in nicu fighting for his life. But she should never have been allowed near, and certainly if I had been as traumatised as many in my position I would have struggled. Got child benefit form, no other crap thankfully. The fact I had to do no fuck off on 3 subsequent days was a step too far though, especially on the day step fil died very suddenly 2 days post birth when dh had to go and support his mum.

Bounty should be banned, or failing that invitation only

pod3030 · 29/05/2013 19:36

i'd just had a c section and was struggling to establish bf when two official women came in with a trolley full of clipboards. they didnt tell me who they were, just asked for my details which went on one of the clipboards. they looked like nursing assistants. it was only when they gave me the bounty bag i realised they weren't hospital staff, by then it was too late.

TreeLuLa · 29/05/2013 19:44

THe one at our hospital was awful. So rude and insensitive. Our DCs were also in NICU and she was really pushy - said she needed to take the pictures for security purposes. Made me cry.

Bounty should be invitation only. Very intrusive and completely inappropriate.

TreeLuLa · 29/05/2013 19:45

Yes, pod - the rep at my hospital also pretended to be a nurse.

madwomanacrosstheroad · 29/05/2013 19:57

My last baby was born dead at 21 weeks. We spent the day with him in a side ward of the labour ward. As we were getting ready to leave a chirpy bounty rep came in and insisted i had to do the details photo etc routine as i was being discharged from tue labour ward. I quietly asked her to leave a few times and just said i did not need her bounty pack. She probably did not listen and kept insisting. Eventually i held the basket with my little baby under her nose and spelled it out. " this is my baby. He is dead. He does not need a bounty pack" she did leave rather fast at that point. I did complain to the hospital a few months later when i was able to function again.

CinnabarRed · 29/05/2013 19:59

Oh, madwoman, that's awful. Truly heartbreaking. I'm so sorry for your loss.

SuffolkNWhat · 29/05/2013 20:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Flosshilde · 29/05/2013 20:24

Done. They buggered off and left me alone after a mouthed 'no thank you' after DS2's birth but gave the couple in the next bay the hard sell and got £100+ off them for a few photos.

I'm positive they nicked my details after DS1's birth - he was in SCBU and I was with him much of the day with my notes at the end of the bed back on the PN ward. I didn't see the Bounty rep but I got loads of junk mail from companies I now know to be linked with Bounty following his birth. We are on the Mail Preference Service as well.