Co-Sleeping: Conundrum? Taboo? Or Ancient Wisdom?

I've been wanting to share and list the many the benefits of co-sleeping for quite awhile, as hubby and I have been experiencing them! And Yes, I said benefits!! I LOVE co-sleeping...I loved it with one child, and it is making my life easier with two babes so far;] After almost two months of baby life, again, getting both girls down for naps and bedtime by myself has been a snap. Plus I am loving the good sleep and naps I am regularly getting because of it too!
When I was laying in bed a few months ago, all these benefits of co-sleeping just kept poking at me, as well as the realization that co-sleeping is not a "past, ancient and poverty stricken" practice, as I believe it is seen here in the states. In fact, hubby and I feel blessed to be able to spend as much time with our babes as we can, putting them to sleep and waking up next to them is amazing, hubby says so every day. And that is why I know it is the right choice for US:]
Now, I just must say, it gets me in the wrong place and sad at heart when I constantly have people in my life telling me that my child NEEDs to be in her "own" bed. And that it is wrong to sleep with our children. This may be some people's perception and belief, especially those who have the luxury of living in a 2-3 bedroom house, but I KNOW for a fact that it is not wrong, nor does God condemn such a basic sleeping situation. Because every time we condemn a lifestyle we know nothing about, nor have tried or truly acknowledged as "someone else's" either comfort zone OR only option, then how can we judge? Every time we tell someone they are wrong, but have not walked a mile in their shoes, or lived in their dirt floor one room hut with 3-5 children and tell them they are not honoring God, we are the ones that bring sadness to God's heart. This is why I feel God has been DE-Westernizing me and my hubby through raising a child, and now a second, and all the other lifestyle changes we have been making, either through choice, or through God's perfect timing and leading to the better health and well being of our family!
SO, the main reason I have fallen so in love with co-sleeping is because I feel it allows me to connect and feel what other parents across the ages, and across the world, feel! Though we all know the MAJORITY of the world have NO choice on their sleeping arrangements with their children, I do know it is as MUCH a joy, as a pain in the butt to co-sleep. There are pros and cons to everything. BUT, I love the fact that I can NO longer look down on co-sleeping families anywhere, like I used to do before I knew what it was like or even if I wanted to try it in our pre-kid age. But it does amaze me how judgmental Christians are, more than any other people in the nation right now, about co-sleeping! How can we be?! When, like I said before, most families across the world don't even have the luxury of having a second room, let alone the security to LEAVE their children in a second room, and most of the time relish the bit of protection they CAN give to their children by sleeping with them at night while their lives most likely are torn by their individual countries' political or religious violence that we are so lucky to ONLY hear about in the news, and not witness first hand...so far.
With that said, I again relish the fact that I have ONE thing in common with these humble, and many times,  praying peoples, praying for US and our overly-plush lives, and yet we are so ignorant of theirs!
With that said, I am now going to delve into the benefits many of these parents don't even think TWICE about, because of their humble living, and even though these benefits are not even benefits to most of us in our current lifestyles, I think they are STILL worth mentioning, as many of them can also be lifesaving, without us even realizing it.
But my favorite saying has been, if it's working, and you get MORE sleep with what you are doing, why fix what is not broken? That is our situation right now, we get 8+ hours of sleep a night, why the HECK would I put my babes in another room, for the sake of the girls having a "bed of their own" only to be woken up and have to practically kill myself running across the house when my girl has night terrors or has to go pee, or I need to nurse the new babe...which is what is going on right now...either I or daddy takes older sis to the potty once a night, and I wake up on demand to nurse, and then instantly fall back to sleep.

hehe, ok,
moving on!!
Co-sleeping Benefit #1
-Less lost sleep during all night feedings, teething, which is the first 2 years of life off and on at no given time, as well as other growing transitions that hinder our little ones to sleep through the night. AND, most importantly, when our little ones are sick; when my little one is sick and has a hard time sleeping due to congestion, or a fever, or throwing up, I can not BEAR to think about sleeping far from her, because of various choking, crying, or breathing issues that arise quickly and suddenly and take my heart on a race even right next to her, let alone if she was in another room and I were listening via a monitor.
I feel we BOTH get better sleep through sickness when my little is close to me...which I think a lot of non-co sleepers do anyhow!!
Benefit #2
If you think about it and (want to) embrace minimalism, keeping kiddos in your room can also force you to keep their clothes and other basics in your room as well, which in turn can also reduce the amount of clothes that you use on them! I keep two drawers for both girls, reserved for a small amount of clothes, which forces me to only have a few season appropriate outfits and thus also reduces the laundry load, as well as the "storage" load, even though I store more clothes in "their" room. It also forces me to purge their outfits every few months with the changing seasons to keep their drawers from overflowing. But it is another benefit, as it is less laundry and stress in my life, love it!
Benefit #3
If, heaven forbid, the house catches fire, or there is a natural disaster such as tornado, flooding, earthquake, or even a break-in, to have your children in your bed, you do not worry about getting TO them from the moment your eyes open, as you know they are with you, and you (and your partner) then only focus on protection, either getting them out of the house, seeking shelter, or keeping a burglar from coming any further into your home!
Benefit #4
No worries about SIDS (as studies have proven, mommies and babies sync their breathing patterns when sleeping next to each other and thus, mommy wakes as soon as baby is in need, this is what I do, and even though I wake numerous times during the night, it is not anymore than when I was pregnant having to heft myself out of bed to pee 5+ times a night), no worries about crib malfunctions, sleep walking babies getting out of the house (my father actually escaped from his house quite a bit as a toddler!), and also, as we have all heard about recently, random furniture falling on children or other accidents that can happen when children sleep in another room.
*(hidden) Benefit #5
This one is going to be a "I see the glass as half full" type of benefit. As most of us don't see this as a benefit! You will not, most likely, be able to sleep in as often, or ever because the kiddos will most likely awake before you, the sleepy parent. However, waking up at the same time or earlier than you wish does allow you to keep THEM from getting into too much trouble if you were to sleep in, as well as, gets your days off to a early and productive start! Breakfast together, or activities together in the morning are memories that will not quickly be forgotten when you are finally an empty nest-er and can sleep in as much as you want, without any snuggle time too:[
Benefit #6
Your babe will inadvertently want to be closer to you throughout the day. I have heard this from numerous co-sleeping parents, as well as experiencing it myself. Even in the house, as I do chores or just go about the day, if I have been "absent" for too long, my kiddo comes looking for me, when she was just walking, she wouldn't hardly stray in the house, in fact, she only got in trouble if I happened to be in one room too long doing something (as in making dinner and she would decided to de-pot the kitchen cabinets). I still don't have to worry about her getting into to much trouble because we constantly are looking for each other if there has been silence for more than 10 minutes...I love it!
Benefit #7
Co-sleeping with multiple children from birth for each, well in this case, two: naps CAN be easier during the day as babes and toddlers prefer snuggling to fall asleep, and if the parent(s) fall asleep too, just forget about all the "stuff" that needs to be done and enjoy! We need our rest too for heaven's sake! Life is too short to only worry about dishes and laundry...take a nap when the opportunity presents itself, or start making a bit of an opportunity if you need one;]
And here is my take on "their" own room, I figure that when we do transition them to their own room, it will be easier to transition two kiddos who have been born sleeping almost next too each other since birth vs. putting a kiddo in a room all by themselves, especially if they are not wanting to be by themselves anyhow (which was me as a toddler and even young kid, and now that is my daughter!)
*random Benefit #8
Thunderstorms are no longer a reason for fear, in our household (as they were for me growing up), as they are now transformed into a time to snuggle up and enjoy a show! In fact, I have noticed that both babes don't even wake during storms if they have already fallen asleep, and I am still more freaked out by loud thunder than they are!
So take it or leave it, these are a few of my thoughts on co-sleeping benefits...I think it is kind of fun to compare these to what people in one room homes would benefit as well?
I think it is always great to get a chance to think outside our wonderfully safe and lavish lifestyles to at least ponder how everyone else must live, even if we aren't blessed with the ability to go and see it with our own eyes. Just thinking about others will continue to make our hearts more humble and thoughtful to the needs of those not only in our communities but to the rest of the world needing just a bit to survive and perhaps thrive:?]
This is just another part of how I love learning about "Living simply so that others may simply live". In this case, it is just an awakening of how crazy rich we are, and how this richness and security can easily overtake our lives and make us ignorant and less thoughtful of others who do not have such luxuries!
So, ENJOY how you get to live and raise your children, and now I wonder how we can give a little to those who need "just a little to simply live"
:?]