@bobezeh Some very good comments here already! Not too much to add to discussion, but a few thoughts to share from when I was in your shoes (have a 1 year old, former super false starter!)
-we decided to sleep train viewing it as giving him a learned skill. We fought for years for our baby- eight miscarriages, three years of IVF, and suffered the loss of his big sister, who had a healthy full term pregnancy and lived for three days after a labor incident. We absolutely do not ever want our son to suffer, but I had a change of thinking one night- I teach high school and often have students who come to 9th grade ill-equipped. Their parents, in best interests, made middle school too easy for them. So the result was they suffered too much in high school because they didn’t know how to do certain things. I realized sleep training might be the first big parenting moment- it is hard on us, frustrating for the baby, but once they learn the skill-
everyone is happier. No different than teaching a 13 year old to start homework on their own or use an agenda.
I realized I was as hurting him by not teaching him the skill.
-Second epiphany I had: I also wanted to do this “gently” and the more I researched CIO, the more I realized this was a gentle way to do it! Check ins increased frustration, CIO nights should be paired with very fun, fulfilling days (really drive home the point that night is to sleep, day is to play/eat). CIO is also short- we were over the worst in 3 days (and night two was not bad at all). Know your baby, understand the difference between “need” and “want” cries. We didn’t sleep train until we were confident that we could understand the difference and things like night poops, need to help burp before bed had stopped.
Whatever you decide, be consistent! You got this.
good luck friend