I found what I'd learn about spotting tired signs absolutely invaluable and I'm not sure my instinct alone would have spotted them.

I think being able to do this has turned DD into a great sleeper - without following a strict routine and without using controlled crying. Friends who were more 'go with the flow' in the early days and just waited for their baby to fall sleep whenever/wherever without actively trying to spot tired signs and gently encouraging sleep, have run into problems down the track.

Breastfeeding didn't come naturally to me and I ran into all sorts of problems but that's a whole other story.

I definitely used my instincts when it came to introducing solids though and pretty much ignored the guidelines because they always seem to be changing anyway so there didn't seem much point.