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

[IfAtFirstUDontSucceed]

Seems I'm in the minority with my experience of the bounty rep.
Reading threads on here I was well prepared for her popping up with her firm sales patter. However, she was very pleasant, no pressure to buy or sign up o anything. The photos she took of DS were lovely, but far too over priced for what you get, so we haven't bought them. We did however give the security code to close friends and family to view the pictures online themselves.

[AnnMumsnet]

Thanks for all the comments and survey-filling so far - we have had a great response to this.

We'd now like to get some more responses from folks who have given birth in the last year or so especially.

[itsonlysubterfuge]

horrible boun lady, this is what I said in my survey.

When I was approached by the lady, who did not say who she was with, I thought she was with the hospital. She said she wanted to see the baby, was very polite and complimentary. Also, she wanted to take off the socks on her hands (she was just born and had already scratched her face) and her hat, when we refused, she became rude and told us the picture would look stupid. She then quickly snapped an upside down picture of the baby and said it was free, but the others would cost money and left. My husband and I were very confused and felt it was very intrusive on our special time together with our new baby, who was also our first. At no time did she say who she was with and we thought we had to let her take the picture.

I also feel it's pretty crappy that after the birth, when we were sleep deprivied and disorganized, they send you the picture which you then have to send back to them. We hadn't even gone to the store, but now we had to some how get to the post office so they didn't charge us money for some very bad pictures of our beautiful daughter.

[itsonlysubterfuge]

I gave birth 11 months ago approx. I'm so excited to be helpful!

[Elansofar]

I can't remember much, but if I did get an approach I probably said go away and dont come back. I was too ill and tired for my parents who i refused to see, yet alone some rep. I did get the bounty pack though, free toothpaste and some good info if you sifted out the advertising....

[BeCool]

I had no problem saying no re photos (though I did get guilt tripped by one rep "really, you don't want to capture your babies first day??" "what a shame" accompanied by tutting etc etc etc), but I passively and in a rather stunned way handed over my personal details to these people. I didn't even know who they were but I assumed (with DD1) they were part of the hospital team - you do get a steady stream of visits/tests etc.

I was clueless, I had no idea who they were or what it was about. Still I did it - this can only reflect on my mental state at the time.

I don't see that there is any place at all for this kind of predatory and manipulative behaviour on maternity wards.

[Patsy99]

I gave birth last week and just said no, which was accepted without argument.

However I understand Bounty pass on the information about the age and number of babies to credit reference agencies and that it is also supplied to other agencies for targeted marketing purposes. I doubt many parents appreciate they've signed up to that, but apparently it's legal.

[Maggie111]

Done. I gave birth in the last year, in the last 2 months actually. I dealt with one nice Bounty lady and one not (who shouted why on earth I wouldn't want my baby's photograph taken for FREE! )

I echo other posters who say that it's a shock to have sales people wandering round the wards when I'm feeling vulnerable and in recovery.

That being said - I really can understand the benefits of having "professional" photos taken of your newborn and it's nice that there is some way to achieve that in the hospital. There could certainly be a better system - one that didn't involve filling forms in and signing up to a mailing list.

[INeedSomeSun]

Surprised by a lot of these responses, this was not my experience at all!
I loved getting all the free samples & info! A lot of the things were very useful - nappies, sudocrem, wipes.
I think I filled in a details sheet at my glucose intolerance test, which is when we got the pregnancy pack. I didn't fill in anything on the PNW. I haven't had loads of junk mail from it anyway.
On the PNW I just got asked 'have you got your bounty pack' and the lady gave me one. I wasn't offered photos - or maybe I was and don't remember...
Well I love getting free things & so I have no personal complaints. I had my DS in 2008 and DD in 2011. The pack was better and contained more stuff in 2008...

[DinoSnores]

I have never registered for Bounty and had a home birth with DC1. (DC2 was stillborn on labour ward so had no dealings then.) I really really disagree with them being on the ward but was moderately impressed with the one woman I've come across in real life.

I had DC3 a few months ago and had to be in hospital afterwards. She popped her head round the curtains when I was feeding but left when I said I wasn't interested. A few minutes later, she came back with the pack and said, "I'll leave that there so you've got the CB form and the free stuff" then left. She never asked me for my details.

[SpooMoo]

I gave birth last Autumn and I've filled in the survey. I didn't have a negative experience as such, but I did give my details and regret doing so, as they've clearly been sold on and I don't know how to stop the mailings.

Ultimately we were approached at our most vulnerable - I'd had no sleep after days of labour and we were struggling to get feeding established, I've never been more out of it in my life. I only gave my details for a quiet life really, though I politely refused the photos. My DP was unhappy about me giving my details as it's very out of character for me, but it was hardly an appropriate time/place to have a barny about it!

[MrsPeggyPatch]

I had a good birth but a tough time with feeding after and was in the mlu much longer than I wanted to be. Even after a quick and easyish birth I was exhausted and very emotional.

Thanks to mn I was aware of bounty and had already prepared mentally to tell them to piss off- gave my email address but refused photos and didn't give phone number. Luckily ours wasn't that pushy either. However had I not read about them on mn I would've had no idea who the bounty rep was really, that they weren't hospital workers and that they were a commercial company. It's pretty grim that this company can access such vulnerable women.

[Maitri]

Apologies if this has already been said - I haven't read the entire thread. I was interested to read my SIL's Bounty magazine yesterday which she was given last week on the birth of her first child. I was really pleased to pick up its very positive attitude to breastfeeding and slightly dismissive attitude to bottle feeding. It told it how it is.

[VikingLady]

Done. I actually put in a complaint to the hospital and Bounty after reading the threads on MN after giving birth. It was the first I knew about selling on details - and I work in direct marketing!

[UmBongo]

I told the woman my details with dc1 in 2007, but had wised up - mostly thanks to mn, by dc2 last year. Got the pack, sorted the crap out and nabbed the mini sudocrem as about the only useful thing in there, even that was smaller than last time, a lot less useful stuff this time.

I was able to say no to the woman, she wasn't too persistent I don't think. The first time though, I gave my details because you are in hospital and you tell stuff to people who ask!

If bounty wants to still give out free stuff, fair enough, but quit with the selling crap photos, just leave the pack and go.

[K8Middleton]

I have given birth in the last year but rather inconveniently I did so at home so haven't completed the survey. I did spend quite a lot of time on the delivery suite at Truro hospital in the summer and I didn't see anyone from Bounty and had the most wonderful care from really lovely midwives.

However, I did get a bag of crap with my notes. I removed my notes and then tipped out the crap into the recycling. I kept the cover because it was handy to keep the rain off them.

I think we should be targeting the companies who use Bounty as part of their advertising and marketing strategy. If it wasn't for Pampers, P&G and co stumping up the cash there would be no Bounty and therefore no reps.

As for paying £5? Absolutely not.

As for letting anyone on a ward who has no clinical, familial or care related purpose for being there? No. I don't care who they are because we are not a marketing commodity.

[hazeyjane]

Wow! If only we had the Finnish scheme instead of Bounty!!

BBC news link here

[pumpkinsweetie]

That would be lovely Hazel, i would be honoured to recieve that lovely newborn box rather than all the crap given by bounty. The last bag i recieved with dd4 was full of leaflets, and the only useful thing i recieved was a tinie pot of sudocreme and a thin packet of wipes & 1 pampers nappy that leaked! I threw most of the bag away & was very glad i was out of the hospital before the photo rep turned up

[Reastie]

Wow what an amazing box. Love the fact it also has condoms in it

[AnnMumsnet]

Thanks for all the responses.

youaintallthat wins the £50 Amazon voucher.

[Angelamay]

I found myself on a post natal ward having had an emergency c section following pre eclampsia and had not even seen my baby 24 hours after her birth when a woman appeared with her laptop congratulating me on my baby and asking all sorts of questions.
It's only the fact that I was dosed up on morphine and numb with shock and naivety that I didn't tell her there then to get the hell out. Even when I gave her my answers as to how much daughter weighed (1lb 14oz) and how was my birth experience (emergency, terrifying) she continued questioning me and it's only now in hindsight I realise how totally horrific the whole thing was. If I have another baby in whatever circumstances I will not be entertaining the Bounty woman. The packs and offers are just not worh it. Ban them from hospitals!