for those who DONT breastfeed to sleep

[tostaky]

How long would you say between the last feed and putting baby (4 months) in his cot?

5 mins? 15? 30? 1 hour?

yes entirely.
Actually baby is not 4 months but almost 5 months (in a week)

as short as poss.
put down when eyes are rolling iykwim.

Really? But i want need to teach him how to soothe himself to sleep (he is a very poor sleeper (~ 6x a night)

At this age I still fed ds to sleep. It made no difference to his night waking wether i fed him to sleep or not. I know lots of people will tell you it's a bad habit, but he's 9 months old now and has been put down awake for at least a couple of months now straight after his last feed without a problem.

You're still in the growth spurt age and there's a huge one at 6 months, plus gross motor explosion which disrupts sleep. I'd send DH in to settle in the night and make bf back to sleep the last resort instead of first. Trying the 'put down awake' technique is just frustrating because sometimes try as you might, there's nothing you can do to keep them awake at the boob, then if you wake them to put them down awake, they're a bit refreshed and it's hell on earth trying to get them back to sleep.

As soon as feed is finished - if he falls asleep once he's in his cot I say in a loudish voice "good night" so he stirs and knows he is in his cot before he actually falls asleep IYSWIM. At 20 weeks he now goes into his cot asleep or awake and settles himself .

I would feed until they stopped from day 1 - if they were asleep then they were put down asleep if they are awake they were put down awake. Worked for us -all three have been great at going to bed. DD2 used to freak us out by lying in her crib awake for ages, just staring out. Think she enjoyed the peace - she still pops up to her room for peace and will quite happily play/read or just lie on her bed picking her toes and singing!!!

DD4 is 5 months, i feed her until she stops sucking, she burps as i lift her up and then straight in the crib. No idea if this is right as she is the first of my 4 to bf!

Oh and she is invariably awake as she is laid down, she just lays sighing to herself before difting off.