@Gwen, it’s this one.

So getting to your questions…we started with the Baby Whisperer but had to make major adjustments due to my sons reflux. Adam did not nap anywhere but in my arms for the first four months – NOT by choice but it was the only thing that worked. At night he slept in a bassinet next to me, with the mattress super elevated but he still woke up several times fussing – the problem was almost always gas. Once his tummy was more developed, by five months of age, he started napping on our bed. After 3 weeks of seeing that he was sleeping on our bed without any problems and no wedge to incline him, we moved him to the crib and were able to follow the baby whisperer’s E.A.S.Y schedule with no problems. It took me about 1 week to get him to fall asleep in his crib for naps and at night time but he would always wake up once or twice in the middle of the night crying. I would walk in, sshshhh him, and put a paci in his mouth and that would do the trick. This however got old after a while. So I ended up doing FERBERS aka the cry it out method. I resisted it for a while but my friend convinced me that it worked so after an awful night of having to wake up several times to put the paci in my sons mouth, I woke up the next day and said to myself “ok no more, today is the day”! I did FERBERS once adam was off zantac(at exactly 6 months). I wanted to make sure that his crying wasnt related to his reflux or gas. It was absolutely heartbreaking but I was ready for the challenge. The most important thing i learned from Ferbers AND baby whisperer is that you cannot rock your child to sleep. If you let them fall asleep in your arms and then put them in the crib they will most certainly wake up. I’m sure you have already read this – I did – but i didnt want to believe it. Once we did Ferbers you have to put the baby in the crib while he is still awake – he can be groggy and half asleep but not fully asleep. Adam would cry as soon as I would put him down but I wouldnt pick him up. It was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life – to just let him lay there and cry but it only took TWO nights of doing this. By night #3, I laid him down and he didnt cry – he just rolled over and closed his eyes. From that night on I was a changed woman! :)
I ALWAYS lay him on his back but when he was at the peak of his reflux – when it was REALLY bad my pediatrician (who also had a baby with severe reflux) told me to put him on his tummy. Yes she actually said it! She said that it’s not recommended but it worked for her son so she told me to give it a shot. At the time, adam was in sleeping next to me so I felt safe trying it but Adam hated it. He hated being on his tummy (still does) but now that he rolls over, he ends up sleeping on his tummy. I’m not concerned about sids cause he is strong enough to move around and lift his neck. My sleep training advice to anyone is to have the monitor that has the video – it’s awesome to be able to see your baby without having to walk in and possibly wake them up due to a noise that you made. Also, have a noise machine, totally blackened out room, and prepare yourself mentally for the crying – it’s hard but you cannot give in -you have to tough it and stick to it if you decide to try it. Best of luck.

Katie, I was wondering, did you put your DD down to sleep with CIO after every feeding or just at her bedtime feeding? My DS goes to sleep easily after his bedtime ritual, but all the other times, he fights sleep and ends up crying so much that I pick him up. I usually feed and then play with him for an hour and then I want to just be able to put him down to sleep, but I’m not sure if I do it gradually or do I do it at every nap time for a couple of days.

Thank you! All the comments have been so resourceful to my sleep deprived body & brain.