It was the story of a woman who had just given birth and lost her baby, sitting desolate on the maternity ward and surrounded by the sounds of mothers with their new babies, that made me decide to start a campaign to oust commercial parenting clubs such as Bounty from maternity wards.

This woman, coming to terms with what had just happened, in what was the last place she wanted to be, was called upon by a Bounty rep. The rep, on the ward to sell photographs, obtain personal information and hand over freebies, pulled back the curtain and asked where the baby was. When the distraught woman explained that she had lost her baby only hours before, the rep simply swiped the curtain closed and disappeared. That she was even allowed on the ward angers me. That she could be so unfeeling leaves me sickened. But as more and more stories have emerged over the course of this campaign, sadly I am no longer surprised by the treatment this woman received. In fact the more I hear about the lengths some reps will go to get personal information and money, I am left wondering if Bounty, and indeed the government that allows them on to the wards, have any scruples at all.

Every new parent is at the start of their own very personal journey. Some will be feeling triumphant, some traumatised, some will need sleep desperately, some will be trying to get to grips with feeding, some will be in pain, some will just want peace and quiet and time to reflect and enjoy their new family. Yet as blatantly obvious all this is to me and to the thousands of people who have signed the petition on Change.org,, it seems that the government finds it far harder to understand. It appears to feel that this precious time is also an appropriate time for new parents to deal with commercial reps dropping by their bedsides to ask questions and peddle their wares. That Bounty has apparently been decreed by the government as the best and indeed the most convenient way to impart important information to new parents is staggering.

Over the past few months I have heard all the arguments for keeping a commercial enterprise such as Bounty on maternity wards. Hospital Trusts have assured those concerned enough to write to them that Bounty operates a strict code of conduct. The health minister has written to Trusts asking them to ensure that this code of conduct is stuck to: Trusts have assured him that it is. HMRC has said that it is happy to pay Bounty £90,000 each year to distribute Child Benefit forms because that way they will reach 97% of new parents. Bounty has insisted that its reps play a crucial role in getting information to parents, that they treat people with the utmost respect and that many parents are happy to hand over personal information for the freebies in the packs they distribute.

The fact is, however, that many of the parents who are dealing with Bounty face to face on the wards are telling a different story. They are telling us that Bounty reps are not sticking to codes of conduct; they aren't behaving appropriately; that they are often relying on the implied legitimacy that the Child Benefit form gives them to obtain personal information from new parents; that they are not respecting their privacy or in some cases, refusing to take no for an answer. My own husband gave Bounty our personal information two years ago under the misapprehension the form he was handed to fill out was an NHS one. In short, Bounty is taking advantage of the very cosy situation it finds itself in, where it is essentially being paid to obtain personal information, which it then sells on to others.

It is as ludicrous to suggest that the freebies given out in Bounty packs can only be offered to a new mum when she is in hospital, as it is ridiculous to suggest that the best way to get the Child Benefit form to new parents is via Bounty.

Paying Bounty £90,000 of taxpayers' money to include it in their pack is an outrage, when Bounty are distributing the pack anyway and using it to give the impression that they are somehow public spirited rather than simply a commercial business employing Sales reps to hang around maternity wards. The Child Benefit form could easily be made available via other routes –by Registrars when the birth is registered or by midwives or health visitors as part of a 'pack' of useful forms parents might need. Every new parent should also be made aware that the form in available via the internet. It would cost less. And using Registrars for example would ensure 100% of new parents are reached rather than 97%.

Campaigners such as myself want treasury secretary David Gauke MP to end HMRC's relationship with Bounty and stop using it as the means of distributing the Child Benefit form. Because while the Bounty pack remains the main way that the Child Benefit form gets into the hands of parents, Bounty will continue to exploit its position. A position that the government is paying it to be in and one that gives Bounty a legitimacy that it would otherwise not have.

The crux of the matter is that the government are knowingly giving credibility to a commercial business which has no place on maternity wards - and paying Bounty with our money for the privilege. It has to stop.

Vicky Garner Campaigner and founder of www.thebirthiwant.org.uk