Picture the scene.

You’ve just pushed a baby out. Or basically been slashed in half to birth your little one.

You’re in a state of complete exhaustion/elation. In your arms is the most precious thing you’ve ever held.

You’re an emotional wreak. You are in pain. Parts of you that you didn’t even know existed are hurting. You have no real idea what day/time it is. You’re in a total just-given-birth-blur.

And then, at the foot of your bed, is an unsolicited, cold calling Bounty rep.

They have a pack of baby related items. They want to take pictures of your baby (which will end up costing you probably more than three months worth of nappies will. And let’s be honest, hours old babies are rarely at their best. Their heads are usually still a funny shape from the whole birthing process!) These reps have got a lot of forms and even more chatter (heaven forbid you are trying to sleep…)

You don’t question why they are there. They must have something to do with the hospital, else they couldn’t just wander on to the ward. Could they?

Well actually. They can. And they do. Which is why a new petition has been launched calling for Bounty reps to be banned from cold calling new mamas on post-natal wards.

It’s a practice that has been going on for years, and yet WHY are we allowing non-NHS staff/non-family members into our hospital wards to sell us products when we are at our arguably most vulnerable?

The picture sales and pack handing out (there’s really not anything in there that you need) are masks for targeting us with advertising and marketing their partners’ products before we have even left the hospital ward after having our babies.

It’s far from ethical. And it shouldn’t still be happening.

Click here to sign the petition

This post was first published in the Echo newspaper on Friday, September 22, 2017: www.echo-news.co.uk