booking appointment Bounty rant

[izchaz]

I had my booking appointment yesterday, and was given the relevant paperwork and the Bounty pack. This is my 1st pregnancy to progress as far as booking, so am awestruck by the amount of dross in the Bounty pack. How are they (Bounty) allowed to use the midwifery service as a conduit for what is clearly a cynical marketing exercise? If I had the energy I'd be enraged... Will I come across these sorts of marketing fandangoes throughout pregnancy?

i got all that rubbish too. bin it! and dont whatever you do give them your email address as you'll be plagued.

they will apparently come round after you've delivered and harass you into getting photos taken (this happened to my friend after an emergency c section). tell them to sod right off.

its utterly ridiculous to target people like this.

I think bounty are massively hated on here but I wasn't bothered by the packs, a few free bits and I didn't give them any details so haven't had any more spam. If they turn up with a camera post-birth I might swing a punch though. I haven't had any spam from anyone really.

The under-5s market is one of the fastest growing in the UK and they are all desperate to get your custom as you start new consumer habits. What pisses me off is how much of it is designed to make you feel slightly guilty if you dont want 'the best' (eg their product) for your child. Expect a lot more of it.

I think this is lousy as well and am frankly pissed off that the NHS allows it. I wonder what the deal is behind the scenes that lets this happen and how anyone anywhere thinks its acceptable for a key public service to provide a captive and often vulnerable audience to what is essentially a massive marketing campaign?

I really hope there's a way to keep them away from me after the birth - the idea of commercial interests popping their heads in at such an intimate and emotional time makes me sick and would certainly be enough to ensure I went out of my way to never ever buy any of their products.

I liked the free baby towel :D

I think it's very wrong for the NHS to deliver important information (the antenatal screening booklet) in a sponsored wallet full of marketing crap. I told my midwife I didn't want it, She seemed to think that was eminently reasonable and just extracted the two things I actually needed.

It's all about money isn't it! I haven't accepted any of the packs (2nd pregnancy here).

I still bet plagued two and a half years later. Beyond a joke. Don't give any details regrets filling it out immensely

I took the packs offered with DS but am very sensitive about who has my personal information for post/phone calls (and "likes" on fb) so never sent any of it back or picked up the post-birth pack from Boots. I did, in the PN fug, hand over my personal details to the photo lady in the hospital but by the time she came back I'd reconsidered and asked she remove me from her list. This time (38wks w DC2) I intend to say "no thank you" politely web she comes round: I've already downloaded the child benefit forms from the direct.gov website.

This time round I refused all the packs except the first one, handed over at a group booking session (I got the impression the midwife leading the session had collated it all so felt it rude to extract the necessary and dump the rest in her presence). I'm a stationery fiend and hate the useless flappy wallet so transferred my notes to something a bitter tasteful robust.

I'd be interested in what the NHS receives for their relationship with Bounty. I'm all for supporting our hard pressed ante/post natal services, it must be very lucrative. Dh found a Bounty Booklet at his mum's 1976 recently and not a lot has changed!

We were on the maternity ward when the "official" bounty photographer came round. He didn't like being told to fuck off.

My first 2 dc were born in the Outer Hebrides where they didnt have much of this - (of course it was also in the dark ages 13 years ago). Got an "Emma's Diary" and a wee free pot of sudocrem that I'm allergic to. No photos!

Then with dd2 was transferred out to Inverness for the birth and it was different. I don't think I realised (tired, having to stay in hospital and I have a hospital phobia, doped up on morphine for my kidney problem) the photos were optional. I was bombarded with so much stuff I threatened to walk out and they put a notice on my door to keep the bounty people away!

I took the first pack with DD1 but like dizzy transferred my notes into something a bit nicer! Refused everything else and will refuse the lot with DC2. The midwife was quite taken aback at my booking in appt this time when I handed it back and said she could use it for someone else. Loathe it.

On the other hand, DD had her 12 month development check yesterday and we got our first Bookstart bag. That I love!

I signed up using an email address that I have set up specifically for marketing junk that I never open.

I use the free towel for the dog after a bath - ha ha. The tiny bit of Sudocrem might come in handy, but other than that I thought it was a bit of a waste of time. I was expecing useful stuff like nappies and wipes, etc! Not sachets of washing liquid and Ovaltine!

Most went straight in the bin.

I took the free gubbins and told her I wouldn't be giving her email/phone number, she was little taken aback but frankly after giving birth wasn't overly worried.

I think it's awful that it's allowed. Nowhere else in the NHS do HCPs allow themselves to be used for free advertising.

I also hate that they perpetuate the myth that you need loads of "stuff" for a newborn.

I'm a HCP in maternity and would love to have the power to stop our unit giving them out but it seems all-pervasive.

Oh thank you ladies for making me feel not-insane for being grumpy at being exploited. My DH looked through it all last night and said "Jesus, do we have to buy all this...stuff?!" , to which I replied "No, it's guilt/scare tactics, designed to pick on my addled little brain"
I work for the NHS, and I can't think of another avenue of healthcare delivery where this sort of thing would be allowed and not hounded out of sight.

I gave mine straight back to the midwife last week, both bits of it. She gave me the screening booklet separately anyway. She said, a bit cross, 'Well, some people are very glad to have it' as if I was being a snotty cow for refusing all the lovely freebies.

I was very polite and just explained I didn't want marketing materials or stuff I wouldn't use. Am she tried to make me feel bad about refusing to be marketed to.

I liked the freebs. I got miniature hand sanitisers and slimline wipe holders in my mine. Used them both.

And frankly anyone that pointed a camera at me after birth would be looking at the optimal way to give birth to a camera sharpish.

If you want free stuff, you can sign up for all kinds of "baby clubs" from the big brands to try and persuade you to spend loads of unnecessary dosh

Quite why the NHS has any place promoting some brands over others I have never understood.

I set up a baby email address and jus scan through the junk emails every so often. I love the freebies, Emma's diary is also good and although most of the leaflets went straight in the recycling bin it took me minutes to sort through. U don't hav to take them but I got bout 10 loads of washi g out of them as well as mini toiletries and cleaning stuff. The bounty lady at my hospital was lovely and I felt no pressure to buy the photos (we didn't). The baby bags u can go collect after the baby is born aren't much good though.