If it feeld better or right to pick him up, then do it. You dont want to feel like a guilty mummy for letting him cry when its not what you want. Go with your gut and if the advice the MCHN gives to you doesnt suit your parenting style, then dont use the advice. I was often bombarded with advice and I just took the bits I liked and turfed the rest. I personally couldnt bear to have her cry to sleep and it was just instinctive to me pick her up and give her a big cuddle. She loves cuddles. Everyone told me that I was creating a rod for my back but she settles beautifully now so I dont think I created a rod for my back at all.
Claire used to cry quite a bit, particularly at night. Often I'd go in and give her a cuddle or a bum pat and she's be happy. Sometimes I think she just wanted to make sure we were still around and sometimes all she wanted was a bit of booby. We always tried to do the same thing each night before bed time, although we have slacked off on this lately. It was usually a breastfeed, bath, more breastfeed, and then a song or a book. Now, we do a bath, then lots of cuddles, and a book while she drinks her milk. She goes to sleep beautifully now and stays asleep usually.
One way of interpreting the prevailing advice is "give them a chance to settle first, then intervene if it isn't working". Don't rush in to pick up at the first noise - but as soon as bub seems unhappy (rather than just awake) then cuddle/feed/sing/pat/raindance/whatever helps.
We tried to never leave DS unhappy on his own - and he now settles and sleeps better than most bubs his age.
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