Don't buy into the making a rod for your own back thinking. You wont damage him by cuddling him lots. Promise!
I feed/fed and rocked both my girls. The eldest is almost 3, but has put herself to sleep from about the age of 18 months. My 16 month old sometimes goes to sleep on her own, sometimes i feed her and sometimes a cuddle her to sleep.
I found the 3 month mark was when my babies started becoming much more aware and things became more challenging. A sling saved me a thousand times over. Sleep around here goes in cycles, it's great then we have a few hiccups for a while and goes back to being great. This phase wont last forever.
Have you read The Wonder Weeks or What Every Parent Needs To Know, i found both of these a great resource.
Thanks so much for your advice and reassurance. After a big hoo-ha getting DS to bed that resulted in me (and him) in tears and DH putting him down in 2 minutes flat (he never has any trouble!) he slept beautifully. We're now playing the 'grizzle, take dummy, pat/shhh, quieten for 2 minutes then repeat' game, but that's a huge improvement in that he's actually in his cot and there's been no crying or tears!
Marcellus/Junglemum - I have a sling, but as I said, he doesn't like it at all. He will occasionally sit up in it for about 5 mins or so. He will also sit in his bouncer for a little while. He has a definite preference for sitting up.
The rational, non-anxious part of my brain knows I won't spoil him by cuddling, and that this is just a phase, and that I have the most amazing, beautiful little boy on earth, but that doesn't stop the other part from taking over and freaking out sometimes! One day at a time...
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