Calling the police to check on a crying baby

They do indeed, some people spout all sorts that people are bonkers for using common sense to act on safeguarding concerns, can you believe it.

But no, no-one has to believe anyone on t'internet, but if we all have to start displaying our checked credentials it's going to cut down on posting a hell of a lot. If I was going to make something up, I think I'd be a retired investment banker, the money, the hours and the consulting work offers sound amazing.

Yes, I agree. It's the assumption that a baby would only cry for half an hour if they weren't being soothed, and that a stranger can tell the difference in cry in a baby that is being comforted compared to a baby being soothed that bothers me. I used to put my newborn in the sling to try to sooth him and he'd arch his back away from me and scream his head off relentlessly. Sometimes I did need to put him down and step away for ten minutes for my own wellbeing. I lived in a flat at the time and thankfully no one ever called the police, but a couple of my neighbours did knock on the door occasionally to ask if I needed anything which I really appreciated.

My baby had colic and would scream even when I was holding him.
However I suppose you cannot be too careful, no harm done.

No, I don't seriously think a baby crying for half an hour warrants a call at all. I do think a baby crying for half an hour, PLUS repeated doors slamming and shouting that's of the level that two neighbours are genuinely concerned warrants a call. If the neighbours are unusually anxious and don't have a good understanding of what should raise a concern, I hope someone knowledgeable in their lives has the time to gently tell them they jumped the gun, but until then better safe than sorry.

Well, in that case, you could have made up every post you've made in this thread.

People who say they do.

People say anything on the internet.

I find that bonkers, have you guys checked the news lately? We know all babies cry for x and y but as an experienced mom the OP felt this was a distressing long cry and "it ddn't sounded right". I believe a welfare check should be the norm, just like when you fear for an older person?

I’d have to double check but a few police officers she’s replied as well as people who work in safeguarding.

Totally did the right thing.

I've just read about a few children who died in very hot cars after the parent forgot them, so you did the right thing. The one off comment is bonkers as if the baby was in the car there would not be a second time potentially
.

That is quite mad and just requires a call to 101 to ask for verification, as you say.
Some people have too much time on their hands. 😀

Why?

Do you seriously think that a baby crying for half an hour warrants a call to the police?! I just can't imagine doing that to a neighbour. I would and have gone around to check everything was okay in similar circumstances but it just isn't unusual for babies to cry for that amount of time.

One hand up here, I work in a professional safeguarding capacity, used to be attached to social services but in mental health now and fully agree OP did the right thing.

I hope so, and I hope that it has been handled sensitively in this case too, but it really would have compounded the guilt I was already feeling!

What professionals?

Yet all the professionals on here are agreeing that OP did the right thing.

An Olympic swimming pool is 50m.

Actually people do often find it easier to think of objects (e.g. as tall as a house, or as wide as a football pitch) as it's easier to reference something we know, rather than 6m or however wise a football pitch is.

I think the comment you're responding to is agreeing with you. Also even as the mum of a reflux baby who screamed I'd definitely support calling police to check. My eldest has asd and I'm both glad and mildly offended for him that noones called the police to check on him. He's been known to scream 'why are you trying to murder me' when getting his hair washed and to scream and pull large.noisy bumping furniture down

Raised voices and slammed doors are hardly a sign of something terrible happening. You have lived a very sheltered life if you think this is uncommon and requires a welfare check.

And the baby was crying for 30 minutes! Not ideal but certainly not alarming

I am very sorry things were so tough for you and your baby, but surely you can see that your experience should not put people off calling the police if they have concerns?
If someone had called the police I presume they would handle the situation with great care and sensitivity and would quickly have seen that your baby was being care for.

If the cry was odd and screechy could it be meningitis? I have no experience of meningitis but I think one of the symptoms is an usual cry. Either way whatever it is hope the baby is ok and gets appropriate help.

To be honest I'm not sure how you'd have heard any attempt made to settle the baby from 100m away?

If it were me I'd have been more concerned if it were sounding like a domestic abuse situation but I wouldn't assume that 30 minutes of crying would mean parents aren't responding at all.

I had a colicky baby as well and mine cried hard every night from 8-9.30pm like clockwork. It was utterly brutal but there would have been no way my neighbours would have known I was doing everything in my power to settle him. If the police had turned up I'd have been mortified and felt even more pressure.

Unless there was a wider picture or the shouting/door slamming was prolonged or intense then I wouldn't be assuming a safeguarding risk from this.

My 8 yr old LOVES stories like this, 'mum, tell my friend about the time I screamed so much the neighbour came to check.on me' or mum 'tell the story about how your friend brought pizza round and my crying went on so long she left and ate none fo it because she couldn't cope' he'd be delighted to hear the neighbours called the police on ha

I think what’s unreasonable are some of the assumptions you’re making. “I assumed they’d settle or some attempt to comfort them would be made” - you have no idea of what the effort might be being made to settle the baby. “Ive also had colicky babies myself who took hours to settle but I was there settling them and there’s a difference between the cries.” - you can’t judge the difference between a random baby’s cries.

I agree with this and thought the same. I think this is where you have "triggered" some people op.