NC as people IRL will probably be able to identify us from this.
My toddler is 21 months and so far has been excellent in cafés, loud restaurants, etc.
We were at a wedding recently and as we were entering the venue after the ceremony there were bagpipes being played, I was holding said toddler and all in all apart from a confused look, that was fine. It came to the bride and groom entering in the room for the wedding breakfast - there are bagpipes being played, clapping and cheering and toddler screams an almighty scream, shouting 'no, no, no!' scrambling to get out of my arms, slid down and tried to run for the hills (there was no escape so toddler ended up trying to push past our table but sadly was going in a bit of a circle). Any attempt to comfort DC was knocked back and both DH and I got pushed away frantically. The noise quietened down and toddler was fine but as soon as someone got on the microphone, it happened again. In the end, I took DC out for the entirety of this segment in order to keep DC calm.
On the way home at the airport, same thing happened with the tannoy and then a stiffness to DC's back again on the plane when the tannoy went (at this point I'm resorting to just covering DC's ears to avoid it because it's like DC is in pain, it just seemed to trigger something within). Thinking back it was the same on the way there but I didn't really realise it, I thought DC was tired and having tantrums.
FWIW, I was tested for my hearing as a child and my DM was told my hearing was exceptionally good, abnormally so. It is possible DC is the same as I have noticed if she can even hear a slither of noise she's looking to place what it is and it can be really minor.
However, it's so sudden this hatred of loud noises that I wonder if this is normal or not? Yes, we haven't been in those settings until then but DC has been in crowded, noisy places. It's been coupled with waking up screaming for me at night over the last month or two (which I attributed to the fact I've had a 3 evenings out over this period which is out of routine) and a sudden hatred of puppets and people in character suits which I have put down to age and the fact DC's care provider had someone dress up as Santa at Christmas which didn't go down well and we weren't there to comfort DC. I'm wondering if the noise thing is developmental or a sign of something else?