I don’t know if it’s helpful as I did this with my DD when she was four months old and I don’t know SOS’s method. Incidentally, I once listened to a bit of her book when I was walking my baby around all day for naps, and stopped when she spoke about how formula feeding mums shouldn’t cosleep because some of them “even” sleep with their backs to their baby! The horror! I remember being really put out by that as my DD was in a next to me cot by my bed, and you better believe I (a breastfeeding mum) turned my back to her, and put a pillow over my head to try and drown down the racket she made when she was sleeping! 🤣 I see a lot of people saying she’s non-judgmental but I felt that, amongst other things, was pretty judgmental. Also I found that a lot of what she wrote sounded convincing, but the more I thought about it the more I realised it was just her opinion dressed up as facts. I think there are lots of ‘experts’ like that, it’s not specific to her, but I think because she is so child led/gentle, people seem to scrutinise what she says a little less.
Anyway, rocking.
I introduced additional sleep associations like a comforter, shhhing, a lullaby I sing before every sleep, a consistent nap routine/bedtime routine, dark room & white noise. Once these were clear indications for sleep time, I reduced the rocking by using less and less movement as she got sleepy and eventually she started to fall asleep in my arms without movement. I then began to hold her in the cot, with her actually touching the cot and my arms around her. As she got used to that I took my arms further away and eventually we got to the point where I put her down and leave the room and she goes to sleep.
I can’t say there has been no crying. She did protest when things changed sometimes. She never was left to cry or was upset without being comforted, though. But I will leave her to have a whinge as she goes to sleep sometimes if she’s just overtired or cross etc. There’s such a difference between a cross cry and an I need you cry. I also found that she adapted quickly to begin with but then often a couple of days later she really got mad about a change to her routine, so I had to really persevere at that point.