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

[AnnMumsnet]

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

I cheerily tell them to fuck off. A tatty bag of 25p off coupons and 3rd rate photography will not buy my loyalty.

OH this makes me soooo angry. recently in for DD2 told Bounty lady firmly was not interested and that was fine, she could tell I was not to be messed with oh but the hard sell she gave the other women on the ward who showed a glimmer of interest made me furious.

How can this be allowed when women are often vulnerable and recovering, in my case and several of the other women from a section or complicated labours. The people opposite me were pressured into spending £80 on photos she came back 4 or 5 times persuading them as could see they were wavering. One time the woman got up and leaked on the floor so she went away while MW's helped her, then they said they did not have money on them and she suggested they went to the cash machine in town. The DH left his wife and baby to go and get the money and the Bounty lady then kept popping back to see if he was back with the cash. The mum was wanting to to breast feed but meanwhile the baby was not feeding and eventually had to go to SCUBU for low blood sugar this level of disruption at this crucial time cannot of helped this situation. I was fuming inside but none of my business so said nowt.

Yes their choice of course and understand some people may want the photos or the packs of tat but their seems to be deliberate inference that they are part of the hospital staff and that you need the pack for the CBforms (you can download these from the internet by the way) which is wrong wrong wrong in my view.

While this isn't relevant to the postnatal ward point, I had a long wait in the antenatal clinic the other day and the Bounty lady came round with mum-to-be packs. I decided to take one anyway as they looked satisfyingly chunky. I couldn't be bothered to argue about filling in details so I just made up false details instead... Nearly everyone else waiting there filled in the forms obediently (I assume with correct details).

Oh Madwoman, that's horrific. So sorry for your loss, and that you had to endure that on top of everything. They should never have let her go anywhere near you.

The Bounty lady who visited us at the MLU was friendly and didn't mind giving us the pack without getting my details. My beef is with the pushy midwife during the booking in appointment of my first pregnancy, who handed me the form as if it was something I had to fill in and it wasn't optional. When I expressed reservations, she just went "Ooh, they're very useful samples, and everybody does it so I really don't see why you wouldn't. Just fill in the form, dear, it's standard." So I did, stupidly. That pregnancy ended in miscarriage, and I could have done without the spam regarding 'your new baby' that arrived around the time of my original due date.

I'm very much of the opinion Bounty shouldn't be allowed access to new mothers or pregnant women in NHS hospitals, but if that's unavoidable, the least they could do is make it very clear it's optional, and offer the packs upon discharge from hospital rather than let the reps roam the wards.

Did questionnaire a few days ago but completely forgot until I was discussing this with a friend yesterday that one of the main reasons why I didn't have a photo taken of DD was as the Bounty lady whilst trying to get me to have it done and as part of her sales spheel she got out her phone to show me pictures of babies and families she had taken the previous day. Put me right off - I don't want her going around the hospital showing other mothers pictures of me with DD. Very indiscreet. Tbh I also think I was a bit in shock that when I had just had a major operation (csec) I was being pestered into having and buying photos. The last thing I wanted.

I was blacklisted from Bounty! The Bounty ladies in the hospital were all charming, but I never received any follow up vouchers for nappies etc through the post when my friends seemed to be inundated. Upon enquiry to Bounty they said that since my first child had been stillborn, my name and address were on a 'do not contact' list. They could not remove me from this list even though I had 3 subsequent live children!!

MadWoman that is appalling, so sorry to hear your story.
I really hope they are banned or at least better regulated. I can't imagine any other wards on the hospital where this type of thing would be allowed to happen!

If I'd known this was a Bounty bashing survey, I wouldn't have bothered to fill it in! We got some handy bits and pieces from the Bounty packs - such as travel sized sudocream and nappy samples and vouchers. Never saw them at the hospital but was very happy to get Tempest to take photos of my gorgeous boy - photos that we sent far and wide (and one proudly sits on our dresser at this moment).

Completed. Thank you

My daughter was persuaded to have the bounty photos taken of her newborn son. They took almost a month to arrive, by which time there was no point sending them out with the 'new arrival' cards, and were very average photos, a complete waste of money.

I found the bounty woman very annoying- she wouldn't take no for an answer and I had to be really firm with her.

What's with barging in if the curtains are drawn?! Surely curtains drawn means can I have some privacy please?!

The samples were a load of rubbish and we are constantly getting junk as we seem to be on every mailing list going!

Done. I was a bit shocked by the Caffeine free coke in my bag. WTF wants to be downing that many chemicals - ever?

I didn't even get given a CB form or pack from the Bounty rep as she didn't have any.

Mine wasn't too agressive, but she was extremely rude telling me off for only having white blankets (I was team yellow, and how was I to know about Bounty photographers! No-one warns you or tells you about them).

I didn't buy any photos as they weren't that brilliant - my son definitely wasn't playing ball. But a year or so later I got some free photo codes from Snapfish, and miraculously/bizarrely, my 2 Bounty photos were sat in my account ready to be 'purchased'. So I ended up getting them free in the end.

I do think there should be a better process if they're going to be around. a) warning when you're on the ward from the hospital that they'll be around
b) option to sign up or opt out and therefore be left alone.
c) better listening skills by the reps from the sounds of things.

I had my first run in with Bounty after DS born three years ago. I was recovering from an emcs, but, being a suspicious soul, I asked the lady whether she represented a charity or commercial organisation. She said she would go and check with her manager...who came back and told me they did represent a number of companies...so I refused to hand over my details.

By the time DD was born, I had read about Bounty's tactics and was spoiling for a fight...must admit I was a bit disappointed when the lady took my 'no thank you' quite happily and went away

The whole idea of Bounty makes my blood boil. I really hope a MN campaign will see reps banned from the wards. Until then, every woman going into hospital to have a baby needs to know who these people really are, and be prepared to tell them to fuck off.

Done! My DS was premature and in intensive care on a ventilator but this made no difference to the Bounty rep. I was tired and emotional so gave in and completed the personal detail form. After which I received a barrage of unwanted marketing emails- all aimed at those whose healthy, happy baby was comfortably at home! Insensitive!

I was pleased with the bounty woman pack 14 years ago with my daughter & 3 years ago with my son. With my daughter I was 21 & loved reading all the info & the free samples.
Loved the pack again with my son, there were things that I wasn't interested in in the pack as with everything, one size doesn't fit all.
I bought both photos & love them. Have the black & white one of my son up in a silver frame. Also used the photos to send out to family who don't live near us.

I agree with LifesAHappySong so inappropriate. I keep getting 'pregnancy related' post and I have only given my address and 'pregnancy' details to the midwife so Im guessing they sold our details on. Very annoyed.

I never had a problem with the Bounty women while having my three DDs. With DD1, it was the weekend, and the MWs gave me the packs, just saying there were free samples in them. I didn't have to register, there was no hard sell. The BW did come round on the monday, and did one of the other mum's photos, but didn't bother me after I declined the photos, and she wasn't pushy.

With DD2 and 3, the BW came round and asked if I had a pack and would I like one, and offered photos. I said no to the photos, and yes to the packs, because some of the free samples are useful. She took my details but was not pushy about the photos. Only as she was leaving, did she mention the CB form was in the pack (after she had given me the pack). She was with me for about 2 minutes, and did not return after the first visit.

I had EMCS with DD1 & 2, and ELCS with DD3, so was in for a couple of days each time. It was other people who would not stay out of my room, depite the MW writing a "do not disturb" sign and sticking it to my door after one sleepless night with DD3!!!!

I think the packs have gone steadily downhill since DD1 was born, nearly 6 years ago. The first two packs had nice hooded towels in, which were actually good quality and which I used a lot, plus other quite nice/genuinely useful stuff. It never swayed me to purchase items I wouldn't have done, though. I gave away stuff from the packs to other people who would use it, and unwanted emails / post went in the recycling / spam folder. I have to say though, that I haven't received very much marketing stuff at all as a result of the packs. I think when I first "joined" bounty, it was pre-hospital visit, via a paper form, so I assume I ticked a "no junk mail" option on that. I actually liked the packs, and felt quite sad when I'd had the last one with DD3, knowing I woudn't be having any more DC!!! (need to get out more....)

I am really shocked by the horrible experiences others have had, and I was sorry to hear about these. Clearly these were so, so wrong.

I do think that the system needs to be looked at, perhaps taking the reps & packs out of hospitals and putting them in supermarkets?

I'm only 14 weeks pregnant so I know I don't really have a place on this thread but I've received a "mum-to-be" pack that was really great. Lots of softener samples, hooded towel, Simple moisturiser, big tub of Kenco decaf coffee, some vouchers for free things and money-off coupons... other stuff too but I've forgotten. It's strange how the packs vary so much. At least I know now to say no to them in the hospital.

And MadWoman, that's I'm so, so sorry that happened to you. Despicable.

The ward I was on was closed to all visitors (except fathers) because of an outbreak of norovirus, so I was that a Bounty rep was allowed to wander around freely between the wards when people weren't allowed to have their nearest and dearest to visit. (I was secretly glad that my family couldn't come as it gave me time to sort out various issues with son/stitches/feeding etc, but that's not the point!).

just done it and quite frankly cannot believe that one of the questions was "are you willing to pay hospital £5 to get your privacy" ERR NO WE SHOULD HAVE PRIVACY IN THE FIRST PLACE

They approached me and I agreed although reluctantly. They handled my dc to get her in position and she clearly was not happy. They didn't give up trying to take a picture though and in the end i asked them to come back. This was an awful experience when having your first child. This practice needs to be stopped IMO.

I very much welcome any kind of scrutiny into the activities of these charmless commercial reps. Never been happier to fill in a survey.

Agree about the £5 question. No, I am not happy to contemplate paying a fiver to NOT have them visit. And like the TV licensing people who don't believe that someone doesn't have a telly, I doubt that would stop them anyway as they have too much to gain from bothering people in a vulnerable time of their life.

Done. In my case I was hassled mid morning after being up all night giving birth and having a PPH. I was trying to sleep when the rep came in. I had to be very blunt to get her to sod off.