'I Filed A Noise Complaint Against A Single Mum With A Newborn'

A sleep-deprived medical resident has been pushed to her wit’s end, resulting in filing an official complaint against her neighbour, who happens to be a single mum with a noisy newborn.

The 26-year-old says she’s working 100 hours plus a week as a resident in a medical profession, along with studying and paperwork. Even before the newborn came along, she says she hardly slept, but now she’s been pushed to her limit.

“My downstairs neighbour had a baby last month,” she explained on reddit. “Since she came home from the hospital I haven’t slept through the night. I’m woken up every 1-2 hours by the baby and this baby screams. I know the mum is trying her best – I’m sure she doesn’t want to be woken up either. But, I’m loosing it. I fell asleep Thursday standing up in the middle of rounds. My attending was not impressed and I was reprimanded. My boyfriend has been encouraging me to file a complaint because it’s not fair I can’t sleep.”

‘I lost it’

The exhausted resident says she can’t wear earplugs because she needs to be able to hear her phone when she’s on call. So she was left with no choice but to take up the noisy baby issue with her neighbour.

“I have tried to talk directly to my neighbour to ask if she could stop walking around her whole apartment (I’ve tried sleeping on my couch which is better but mum walks the baby around the apartment) or maybe if there could be some soundproofing done. But every time I’ve had the chance to go to her apartment she’s got a note about the baby sleeping and please don’t knock.

“I do not have her number or other way to contact her (I feel weird about leaving a note and want to address it in person). So I spoke to my landlord Friday evening. I was very clear that I’m not trying to blame this woman, I just wanted to know if there could be some sound proofing done or something. The landlord said they’d look into options.

“Well, Saturday I had a day off mandated because I’m now considered a risk to patients which is causing a whole host of issues for me. I was sleeping and woke up to pounding and screaming. The mother was furious with me and kept screaming about how I’m selfish and trying to kick out a single mum, etc. Neighbours were watching and I kept trying to explain but she (and the baby) just kept screaming.

“I lost it. I’m beyond exhausted and just screamed back. I told her her baby is so loud she might cost me my job and that I can’t function anymore because of her and that soundproofing isn’t the end of the world. If she can’t soundproof she should be considerate and f*ck off from apartment living. She started crying and left.

“I feel awful about it. I know I shouldn’t have yelled. My impression was the landlord was going to fix the issue not kick her out? I don’t want that.”

What do you think this exhausted woman should do? Let us know in the comments below.

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34 Comments

- - mum1 said
  - 26 Jul 2022
    6:33 pm
Sounds like apartment living isn’t for her as well and she should think about moving. As if this new mother doesn’t have enough to worry and stress about

- - KellyB said
  - 12 Jun 2022
    8:33 pm
She is clearly someone who hasn’t had a baby. Though you would think she would know given she is in the medical profession that some babies cry more than others and also not at appropriate times..
Maybe they could also think of sound proofing options and not really on others.

- - HelenP5 said
  - 02 Jun 2022
    8:31 pm
Get some ear plug & have some compassion for a new mother that is probably running on very little sleep herself & certainly doesn’t need a noise complain to add to her stress.

- - mom160289 said
  - 02 Jun 2022
    4:59 pm
My goodness. Maybe she should move instead or invest in good quality sound proof headphones for sleeping

- - Mrs Felix said
  - 02 Jun 2022
    1:04 am
The writer is definitely the a**hole here. If you’re complaining about baby’s noice then get your apartment soundproof. You’re the adult here so be mature enough to do something you can control. Babies cant control their crying.

- - Mumoftwo said
  - 02 Jun 2022
    12:21 am
You can’t help a baby crying during the night, my first was a horrible sleeper with very bad colic ypu try everything to settle them so you can also have sleep, that’s what the mum is probably doing walking around the house trying to settle bubs, if the neighbour says she’s sleep deprived how do you think the mum feels.

- - cassy26 said
  - 01 Jun 2022
    4:17 pm
This is a super hard situation for everyone involved and sleep deprivation is a horrible thing. Unfortunately the mum is probably already stretched to her limits doing what she can. There’s no way the poster should be working 100 hour weeks and then still be on call though? Maybe she needs to sort out her working hours for something a little more manageable…
- mom466087 replied
  
  02 Jun 2022 , 4:20 pm
  Yes I can’t imagine myself being over it and having someone complaining about baby. I wouldn’t be able to control myself
- - mom400215 said
  - 01 Jun 2022
    3:00 pm
I guess there isn’t much you can really complain about noise wise when its not on purpose, when you choose to live in an apartment complex. It’s not like they are up partying all night. I feel for the mum.

- - fibear said
  - 01 Jun 2022
    12:38 pm
the writer should be the one moving out, not here. if its an apartment complex and she is the only one complaining, then she is the only one that doesnt understand what its like to have a baby.

- - sharna_booth_weinrowski said
  - 01 Jun 2022
    10:37 am
oh come on are you kidding?

- - TraceyGail said
  - 01 Jun 2022
    7:22 am
After reading the whole article I can see it’s not what it sounds like. I think she needs to approach the Real Estate again about their approach and arrange a discussion with the Mum.

- - Sevinc68 said
  - 01 Jun 2022
    6:46 am
I understand where your coming from but seriously.. why don’t YOU sound proof your apartment or move out or in with your bf? This is a baby for goodness sake.

- - Mummato4 said
  - 01 Jun 2022
    4:24 am
Here’s an idea, don’t like it? Find somewhere else to live! Babies cry, get used to it instead of being so rude and inconsiderate. How about you sound proof your apartment or look into some sort of noise reduction.
- Ellen replied
  
  01 Jun 2022 , 7:33 am
  I agree. Or discuss with the real estate if it’s possible to make it more sound proof…when not move yourself.
- - Ellen said
  - 01 Jun 2022
    4:19 am
You can’t expect a single mum with a newborn to get quiet. For many many years I worked as a nurse and used earplugs and still do and am well able to hear the phone through it or when one of my children are upset during the night.

- - mom466557 said
  - 31 May 2022
    10:04 pm
So inconsiderate. Who knows how the mum is going with no help. There could be medical issues with the babg maybe reflux etc.
- Ellen replied
  
  02 Jun 2022 , 7:47 am
  Very inconsiderate indeed ! I’ve been wondering how being inconsiderate goes together with being a good nurse. A good nurse should be capable of being considerate