Hellobee Boards

Not sure I ever studied it as a method, but I did what you are describing. I would put him down, step outside of the room and wait. If he didn't settle after a few minutes, I would go back in, pick him up, sway and rock for a few minutes until he settled, then put him back down again. The first few nights I did this up to 10 times in a row. Some nights it wouldn't work at all and we wound up back at co-sleeping, but persistence was key and it worked well with in a week.

We did a totally worth unorganized pick up put down. But I will say, at four months we did absolutely whatever worked because that was HARD! Usually we waited him around the block in a stroller u til he was asleep. But even now at two, if he really can't settle and cries hard, we go in. I try not to sit back down in the chair, I just stand up and maybe sing one song and then put him back down. On a bad night we have to do it twice, but once usually works.

Pick up put down comes from Tracy Hoggs book, "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer", have you read the chapter on that? Would recommend grabbing a copy of her book if you haven't already.

@gentlelunette: bee had some good blog posts about good and not so good times to train. I think 4-6 was actually a good time!

I have done PU/PD inconsistently with DD since about 8 weeks .. I find it works just takes longer to achieve unassisted sleeping.

One thing that I did, was identify all her sleep props. At 2 mo she would only sleep on me, swaying in the moby or sucking on my pinky (my letdown was too strong to comfort nurse and she wouldn't take a paci). So I weaned her off the movement and taught her how to suck her thumb. Over the course of week I started with her drowsy on me and worked up to putting her in her crib on her tummy cause she couldn't reach her thumb otherwise.

DD was hit pretty hard at the 6, 9 & 12 mo sleep regression and I probably made it worse by letting her cosleep at those times but we always got her sleeping alone again with PU/PD. Again, it just takes longer.

@gentlelunette: super late! Like 18 months maybe? I did CIO with my first baby and went to the opposite extreme with my second. I would say 6 months would be a good time. They're a bit more sentient by then.