I did this with Julianna, so I understand where your friend is coming from.. It is all you can do with some babies, Julianna slept in 10 minute intervals no matter what I did, she screamed if I tried to cosleep, she screamed if I tried to put her in a crib, she screamed in the bassinet, screamed in the swing, and the bouncy chair, and when being worn, by the time she was 3 months old I was so sleep deprived and so despite I placed her in her infant seat after she fell asleep one evening, and she slept a full hr, it was amazing.. so she slept there at night for a couple of months.
Honestly she still woke hourly but it was more time than I got when I put her to sleep anywhere else.
She had SEVERE silent reflux though and did not eat.. so I think being more upright helped her, I didn't buckle her either, I set her on the floor in my bedroom in the seat, cause when i tried to buckle her, she woke right up.. she was such a light sleeper.
I don't know how I got through that first year with her, but it was pretty awful. Thankfully my other two were easy babies.
I think the base thing is a good idea unless the baby needs to rock in there?