Is it futile to try PUPD before baby learns separation anxiety?

[BettyBi0]

Is it futile to try PUPD before baby learns separation anxiety? I'm on the second night of trying it with my 5 month old to try and break the habit of her only falling asleep on the boob. I've tried the gently rousing post feed and she just goes bananas, ditto anytime waking up without a boob in her mouth day or night :(

I'm half thinking I've got to help teach her to self soothe now before she can stand up in the cot .... but then I feel horrible for thinking that because how powerless and frustrated must she be feeling. I also read something in the Baby Whisperer book about how not being able to self soothe and settle can make separation anxiety even more problematic. Is that true? Or will all the suffering we are doing now so that she hopefully learns to settle in her cot be undone when she takes the next step in her psychological development?

I don't think it's futile - mines both self settled and reading now, I think it is because they we both tiny (preemie) so the advice which I was given was not to allow them to feed to sleep ever, rouse them somehow to make sure they fed enough and then put them to sleep afterwards.

Again I am only basing this on my no scientific sample of two but neither of them have ever lacked confidence or suffered from separation anxiety - read into that what you will.

It's so toughs when they are tiny though, and so much confusing advice, I am actually glad I didn't have MN then as I would have been a wreck.