Downstairs neighbours have complained about noise AIBU?

[tonightonight]

Background:
I live in a block of three large flats. Upstairs has a balcony, my flat has Juliet balcony under upstairs's balcony. Downstairs has French doors that open onto a small back yard, again directly under my Juliet balcony.
My baby is 6 months old and currently teething so is a bit more grumpy than normal. He's usually very well behaved and DH and I are very conscious to ensure he isn't disturbing everyone too much. When I first found out I was pregnant I put a note in each neighbours letter box letting them know that I was expecting and once baby was here, if they had any problems to please come and speak to us.

So, this week, as we all know, has been ridiculously hot. DS has been in just his nappy or nappy and a vest to keep him cool. I've had a couple windows open in his room and our room during the day and the Juliet doors open in the living room. I've also got my nursing chair by the Juliet. So when I'm feeding DS I read to him (currently Harry Potter... more for me than him lol). I speak softly when I read because he's obviously feeding and biting when startled.
Downstairs had a couple guests over and we're sitting in their yard which is under my Juliet talking and drinking. I was sat in my chair reading aloud. I then had the wife say in a loud voice "oh is she still not done reading that shit to her baby?!" They then entered into a loud conversation about how inconsiderate I've been by having my doors open as they can hear everything and it's not fair.
Once DH was home I went down to speak to them and they told me I was selfish and entitled. I asked how as I was sitting in my own house reading to my son? I wasn't in a public space or anything and it was too hot to not have the doors open!
I mean, he's a baby so he does cry but I always shut the doors when that happens anyways.
I can hear upstairs's TV when all our doors are open but that's flat life isn't it?!
AIBU?

[53rdWay]

Your neighbours don't know they're born if "woman reading Harry Potter to baby" is what they consider unreasonable neighbour noise! Idiots. Ignore them.

[WarriorsDance]

Well if they don't like Harry Potter and they're talking to guests then it would have been a bit annoying for them I suppose. They probably don't think there's any need to read a book to a tiny baby.

Go and ask them what books they enjoy and you'll read those instead

Unfortunately living in flats can be irritating, especially in the summer when as you say everyone sounds like they're in the same room.

They were very fucking rude though. Sounds like your baby is an absolute dream compared to most!

[SabrinaSalem]

YANBU, they were being horribly passive agressive to complain about you where they knew you could hear. Probably hoping you'd suffer with the door closed and they wouldn't have to speak to you face to face.

They're entitled to be annoyed (their home too) but they could have been nicer about it. Or, as you say, accepted it as part of communal living and got on with their lives.

I hope you remember to do all the character voices, OP.

[Decaffstilltastesweird]

I read Narnia to my dc when she was too little to protest little.

Yanbu. I lived next to a baby for a while and it was absolutely no bother. The pre-teen on the other side was a fucking nightmare. Blazing rows late at night where he repeatedly screamed at his parents. It nearly put me off having children at all as it sounded horrible. But even that wasn't particularly irritating for me. I just felt sorry for the parents and the pre-teen tbh as he didn't sound happy.

Anyway, maybe try speaking even softer or moving away from the window if you can. Flats in the summer are a bugger.

[WhatToDoAboutThis2017]

Well, if I was them and I could hear you reading to your baby then yes, I'd be pissed off, because I like quiet and the baby isn't getting anything out of it like a toddler/small child would.

I wouldn't be rude enough to comment so loud you could hear me, though.

[justkeepswimmingg]

What idiots, how rude and entitled are they!? YANBU. Continue reading your Harry Potter, to your DS, and refer to them as 'slithering snakes' out loud in future .
I'd also never bother being considerate of them again.

[LaurieFairyCake]

If you can hear them they can hear you

Their fucking noise of you hearing them talking doesn't trump you being allowed to talk!!

They're arseholes

[Funclesmuck]

When we moved into our flat, we had two heavy footed teenagers. I had never lived in a flat before so introduced myself to downstairs Neighbours and apologized for the noise. They were young professionals who are lovely and said it was funny to hear the odd teenage tantrum, and were laughing about how awful they must have been to their parents. Fast forward 3 years and they are proud owners of twins. When they came home with the babies they came up to apologise for noise. It was then my turn to laugh and say that I was just glad my baby time had gone! It's flat living, you put up with each other noise. Do I like listening to two 9month olds screaming at five in the morning, not particularly. But I'm sure they don't like listening to teenage girls screeching at nine at night because they can't find the shoes they want to wear immediately. It's give and take and they are taking the piss.

[danTDM]

Crying at night, crying in the morning, self indulgent ohhhohhh sound constantly.

It is miserable, I tell you.

You make more noise than you think and it is horrible for others.

[originalbiglymavis]

Start singing wind the bobbin up or incy wincy spider over and over and over...

Yabu for reading Harry Potter though (can't stand the books but love her tweets).

[danTDM]

Be careful.
You'll have a CD on non stop loud music if you are not considerate.
Do not sing 'incy wincy' fucking spider.

[annawoolfworries]

Ignore them. If you live in a flat you have to expect noise. It's just if the noise is about children people feel entitled to be horrible. If it adults drinking then apparently it's not entitled

[plantsitter]

Shut up DanTDM.

Time to start writing your own stories, OP. How about one where a beautiful boy and his mother the Queen live at the top of a tall tower and do battle with the vicious trolls who live, cackling evilly, at the bottom?

[plantsitter]

Oh Sorry Dan cross posts! Now I getchya. Apologies.

[danTDM]

Shut up
No, it is my opinion.
The OP is bu and should be careful and considerate. People do not complain for nothing.

[danTDM]

Sorry plantsitter we cross posted!

Really op consider your neighbours

[MakeItRain]

Can't believe they were moaning about you. You could equally moan that you had to listen to them all talking right under your window while you were trying to enjoy a peaceful time with your baby.
Just say "I know, it's really difficult, I can hear every word you say too when you're sat just under my window. But I guess it's a difficult thing about living in a flat." And then give them a big smile.

[tonightonight]

@danTDM have you met the general public in the UK? We're a nation of complainers lol.

I don't see how it's unreasonable reading to my son in my flat? I can hear them when my doors are closed and theirs are open but I've accepted its #flatlife
Also as I already said my son goes down at 7pm and sleeps through until 6am. No nighttime crying.

[AcrossthePond55]

Next time read out loud from 50 Shades.

[tonightonight]

@SabrinaSalem my Luno Lovegood voice is spot on 👌🏻

[tonightonight]

*Luna

[MatildaTheCat]

Smile sweetly and ask if they have a preferred text?

Seriously, lower your tone to appease them, remind them that you can also hear them

And think of next year when your toddler is stamping around and having tantrums....karma.

[BigYellowJumper]

dantdm What is she supposed to do if her baby cries?

"Excuse me dear, you're making a terrible racket. Could you please keep it down so you don't bother the neighbours?"

"Oh really, was I? Terribly sorry, I'll be more careful next time."

Babies cry, there's fuck all you can do about that really. If her neighbours are that sensitive, they should move to a house or to the countryside.

[TheDevilMadeMeDoIt]

OP there's more to this than their reaction to you reading Harry Potter. They're also giving you a very clear picture of what they're going to be like when DS is two, toddling, throwing things, crying and generally going through the terrible twos. They're going to be hell about it.

Sorry, I know that's depressing, but they really are. Time to start thinking about how you'll deal with them when it gets to that stage?

[danTDM]

So you don't think you are unreasonable OP
But you asked if you were, not prepared to be tol by someone that maybe, you were.

Says to me you definitely are.

And no, people HATE complaining.