18mo still fed/cuddled to sleep. How to change this without controlled crying?

[yellowflowers]

Controlled crying not for us but we have made rod for own backs by feeding/cuddling dd to sleep. I stopped bf about a month ago - wasn't too traumatic, she's mainly sleeping through now, and in the morning we've had to have lots of tears etc but she will now play in her cot if she has a new nappy and a bottle of milk, for up to an hour while we get some extra kip.

So all good, except we really need her to be able to go to sleep in her cot.

Any suggestions?

My HV gave me a fantastic book called 'teach your child to sleep'. I gives loads of practical suggestions and we picked the 'gradual withdrawl method' to teach all our DSs to go to sleep by themselves. First step was instead of feeding to sleep we rocked to sleep. Did this for 3 (or so) nights then went to holding to sleep again for 3 (or so nights) then went to holding DS when he was in cot, then to holding hand, then to sitting by cot, then to sitting in room, then to sitting in door, then to sitting by door. When DS3 moved into his bed we had to go back a few stages but then were able to move through the stages again but quicker. I found it a very flexible method which can be adapted to the individual and copes with when they are ill without having to repeat CC (and its traumas).