Sling!!
Also, I too was told by the MCHN in MG classes to put DS to sleep wide awake. Only I was never going to listen to that. I mean, do you go to bed wide awake and raring to go?? Sure, I go to bed awake, but only when I'm about to drop, or I"d just lie there, staring at the ceiling! So, I don't put the same pressure on DS and never did. If your child falls asleep easily when put down wide awake easily enough, then go for it. Otherwise, you're p!ssing in the wind and working both of you up.
I used the sling to get DS to sleep - he'd be asleep and I"d unwrap him gently once he was soundly asleep. If it wasn't in the sling, it was whilst feeding that he'd fall asleep...another MCHN no-no, for some bizarre reason (given that breastmilk contains sleep-inducing hormones and why wouldn't you use nature's helping hand?).