Hmm so I have a theory, I'm not sure whether I read this somewhere or imagined it, but I'm sure breastfeeding offers immunity benefits to the breastfeeding mother as well as the child. Well now I'm thinking that the demise of breastfeeding hormones and whatnot from weaning may cause decreased immunity in the mother for a period?

Aside from a couple of bugs, from the moment I conceived DD to 18 months after she was born I felt so healthy. Sometimes - lots of times! - as tired as hell but overall healthy and wholesome. DD began self-weaning when I fell pregnant with #2 - in hindsight almost exactly around implantation. I persisted (she was already down to one bedtime feed and however many times she woke during the night) but we've gone a couple of weeks now of refusing, even in the night, and I'm 8 and a half weeks along. The full refusal for this period has correlated with me getting constantly sick! In three weeks, beginning just before her extended refusal, I've had a head cold, gastro, and now a chesty wet cough and another head cold. I never get sick! I know pregnancy can affect the immune system but this is ridiculous and I just have a feeling it's the weaning compounded by the pregnancy.

Anyway just putting it out there!