Hi ScarletRubies, loved your post - I breastfed my first for 2 years and my second weaned himself at 18 months - almost broke my heart!!! But we have allergies, asthma and irritable bowel in our family. It surprises me that many people don't know the human gut lining takes 2 years to grow and mature and breastmilk is the best defence against damage to this lining which contributes to allergies and illnesses. At nearly 6 and nearly 3 neither of my boys has asthma, although my eldest has mild eczma and the youngest is mildly allergic to peanuts, but I would hate to imagine how much worse it could be if I had not known all the benefits of breastfeeding. Did you know mammals are designed to drink their mothers milk until the milk teeth fall out? I took great delight in telling my amazing facts to anyone who felt the right to criticise me feeding my children when they were "too old". Fancy feeding my babies human milk!! What kind of a mother am I?? Currently looking forward to the birth of my 3rd and that special bond of breastfeeding - lets hope this one lets me lead the weaning!!