My neighbour can’t tolerate my baby’s crying and says I should seek help to get her to stop – some people say he’s a bully, but others are on his side

A woman has revealed her stress after a neighbor complained about her sick nine-month-old daughter crying.

Towards the British parenting platform Mothernetthe anonymous woman explained that the neighbor recently knocked on her door in dissatisfaction and said that his sleep was affected by the noise.

The child had previously been hospitalized with a high fever, which was later diagnosed as a viral infection, and cried all night.

The ‘exhausted’ mother says she is ‘personally in shock’ that the neighbor has complained and asked if she is being ‘dishonest’.

Many rushed to the comments to show support for the new mother, with some saying her neighbor sounds like a ‘bully’

The message read: ‘Looking for a little advice. I have a 9 month old little girl who was born with Strep B. She was extremely ill at birth and was in the ICU for a week. We were so lucky that she made a full recovery and thankfully has no lasting effects from the infection.

‘However, since she started nursery three months ago, she has been constantly unwell. She has had all the colds, coughs and runny noses and is not sleeping well at night.

She continued: ‘In the past week my little one has been to the doctor twice and admitted to hospital with an extremely high fever which we now know is a viral infection. Seeing her in such bad condition is heartbreaking and we as parents are doing our utmost.

‘That brings me to what other mothers think of the following. My neighbor knocked on my door this morning, for reference, they don’t have kids, so they don’t understand.

‘But after being awake every hour at night with my sick baby getting temperatures of 39+, I’m already emotional and exhausted. He then complains that she cries and keeps him and his wife awake.

‘He then told me to get support and now I feel like the worst mother in the world because my poor baby cries at night!

‘I admit she cried a lot, but I’m doing everything I can to help her. She sleeps with me again so I can come to her as soon as I hear her mumbling. Personally, I’m in shock because I would never complain if the neighbor’s baby cries. But I would like to know what other mothers think and if I am being unfair?!”

People responded to the comments and left their own opinions, with some saying he’s a ‘miserable a*****’.

One person said: ‘What does he expect from you? He’s a stupid bully, he should feel sorry for not playing the big I-am. I would have looked at him, raised an eyebrow and closed the door.

‘Be very grateful that you are not him and move on with your life. Your baby will get better, he’ll probably always be an a-hole.”

Another said: ‘I don’t think anyone likes being watched for any reason, but a baby crying because she’s bad can’t be helped. It’s not like you leave her crying and don’t calm her down. You’re probably tired and exhausted too, and you’re not the worst mother, just a tired one!

“We’ve all been there when our babies were sick. Unfortunately, your neighbors didn’t understand and clearly don’t care, and would rather make you feel bad. There’s not much advice to give, but I hope your baby feels better soon and you get some rest.’

Someone else said: ‘What does he and other people in the post think you should do, smooth her over, shut her up????

‘Ffs, it’s a nine-month-old, and if you’ve had children you’ll appreciate and appreciate that it’s not an easy phase at the best of times – especially when they’re poorly and crying is their only way of communicating. Honestly, this makes my blood boil because it’s not like your blaring music at all hours of the night, it’s a damn baby crying because she’s sick.”

“Ignore him, he sounds like a miserable bastard, keep doing what you’re doing. Stay strong and I hope the baby gets better soon.”

The mother added: ‘I was very disappointed that he even had the nerve to knock on the door and complain to me, especially after I stood there, tears rolling down my cheeks in complete exhaustion! I understand that it must be difficult, but it is also difficult for me and her father. Thank you so much for making me realize that I’m not going completely crazy, and that I have a good point!’

Meanwhile, others thought the neighbor might be trying to be nice when he said she might “need support.”

One person said: ‘He might think you just let the baby cry in the crib, like some mums who struggle to bond etc, and meant support?

“Depending on how he said it, explain and reassure that you and the baby are fine and that the baby saw the doctor when he wasn’t feeling well and that you will hold her when she cries, or when he just seemed angry and vented then just leave it there and if he brings it up again tell him clearly that you are trying to comfort her but unwell babies cry but you understand he has no experience with babies’

Another said: ‘Be understanding. They are also sleep deprived. They have the right to a good night’s sleep in their own home.

‘You can’t help it if you have a bad baby. Perhaps they were helpful by suggesting that you need support… you do! A crying baby is so hard when you need sleep. Can a parent help?

‘Maybe you’ll drop by with a bottle and some earplugs. Tell her that she is really bad and that you are really trying. You haven’t slept either, so you understand how exhausted they are.’

Meanwhile, another said: “I understand why you’re upset and there’s not much you can do about it. Babies will cry and there isn’t much you can do about it. I understand you were angry about the way he handled things, but I don’t think anyone in particular is to blame for this. Do you think you could have handled this a little better? Maybe throw around a card and a bottle of wine to say sorry for the noise and that you appreciate them being with you?’