Put it this way, Jac; the majority world cuddles their babies to sleep until those babies don't need it anymore AND that time DOES come, cos 12 year olds needing to be cuddled to sleep isn't the world's best kept secret, it's something that doesn't generally happen (and if it does, it's not the fault of being cuddled to sleep, it's probably some kind of trauma the kid's gone through!).
I'm sure people roll their eyes (IRL and perhaps on this forum, too) when they know that I do comforted parenting, and my stance is "bite me". It's none of my business what other people say about me behind my back! I answer to my son and to myself, not anyone who wants to roll their eyes and not be there when it counts (i.e. when I can't get the kid to sleep any other way and the kid REALLY needs to sleep!).
Trust yourself and what your child is telling you above all else