Helping baby soothe himself

[maggie111]

My baby's 5 months old and breastfed and I am a firm believer in if he wakes up, he's hungry so feed him, so I do expect him to wake at night. Typically our evenings are:

7.30 last feed, 11pm sleepy feed, 1.30am feed, 5am feed & pray he goes back to sleep

7.30 wake up.

Now.... All that's ok and what I would like is to feed him one side, switch him, let him fall asleep on the other side, hold him for 10 minutes till he is in a deep sleep, put him down and wander off.

Of course what happens is I put him down, he wakes up and has a little whinge, I leave and see if he goes quiet again, I pick him up rock him, put him down, swap with my husband etc.

No in the cot soothing techniques work that we've tried - taggy, dummy, stroking, patting his tummy etc.

So now me and my husband are disagreeing - he thinks he needs to be left in his cot to cry himself to sleep (or at least give it a go just once) but I think we'd give up before the baby and it's much easier to pick him up and settle him before he works himself up into a state.

Anyone have any other suggestions???