Ok, I guess I should approach this subject on here before my mailbox is
totally swamped.  First of all, I did not say I was in agreement with the use
of the Ferber method.  I simply said I have heard of parents who had used it
successfully.  As for it being a form of child abuse, that is a statement of
opinion, something that many people who use Lactnet forget is supposed to be
permissable.

I, myself, also tried a "raw" form of the Ferber method with my high-contact,
high-need, first-born before I was even aware there was such a documented
method.  After 6 months of sleepless nights, I was ready to try anything
plausible and someone had shared the idea of letting the baby cry himself to
sleep.  Well, being an experienced and exhausted mother, I tried it and was
very upset with the feelings of guilt and dispair I felt when finding my son
in a position that would show he had fallen asleep out of sheer exhaustion
from crying, and mind you I went in every 5 minutes and soothed him as I had
been told to do.  IMHO (and I state this so as to remind everyone that this is
my OPINION, not FACT), I do not care for the Ferber method of sleep induction.
I am also a realist and do not try to fool myself into thinking that everyone
will use what method was successful for me and employ that in their home.  I
would love it if everyone decided to put baby's needs first and use the family
bed... however, in our society and others, this is not an acceptable means of
putting baby to bed in every home.

Remember, if it weren't for failures we wouldn't have successes.  My attempt
at "letting baby cry himself to sleep" lasted about 4 nights... it was a
failure.  The family bed became my success story and the story all my children
thereafter benefitted from (I have 4 children by the way... all boys, ages 14,
10, 5, and 3.  My oldest has been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder).  I do find it interestin