co-sleeping

Before Sera was born I read a lot of parenting books just to make sure that I was adequately prepared (I could have read a whole library full and in the end it didn't make a difference cause I wasn't and still aren't).  Each one had a different take on the topic of co-sleeping, that is, sleeping with the baby in your adult sized bed.

Europeans and North Americans seem to differ on the topic with Europeans leaning more towards a yes verdict, based on some studies that it helps with child development and bonding with both mother and father.  I suspect tat part of it has to do with the tight living quarters European households enjoy...  by the time baby is born, most Italian families are still either in their first studio or luxurious 1-bedroom apartments or are in the midst of trying to sell it to get a more logical 2-bedroom apartment. planning ahead for a space suitable for bunk beds if ever a sibling should arrive.

In North-America, most psychologists and baby experts lean towards the idea that a child should definitely have its own bed and certainly it's own room, preferably down the hall with a video surveillance baby monitoring system.  Luckily, North-American families tend to have hallways, so this is a possibility well worth considering.

I've always been of the mind that each child and each family is different.  I thought that it might be nice to share a special sleepy bond with Sera and I think we tried co-sleeping a few times in the early days only to find out that although our little sweety was still and immobile during the day she could perform mad acrobatics at will during the night.  This illustration from www.howtobeadad.com explains Sera's sleep habits pretty well.  I wake up with bruises every time we share the bed.

Sera and I will be spending all of next week in France, first at a hotel and then at friends'.  You'd think a queen sized bed would be big enough for just the two of us, but you'd be wrong.

What do you think about co-sleeping? Did you, do you, will you do it or won't you? Why or why not? What's your little one's favourite pose from those illustrated above?