Extended BF; reasons for it please

[FloriaTosca]

Hi
I have been Bfing my Ds (pfb)for 16 months now..
However as time goes on and he is showing no sign of self weaning (still feeds on demand) which is not a problem for me, my Mother and my Dh have been suggesting more and more frequently that I should wean him off the breast.
Yesterday Mum asked to babysit at her house (she normally comes to mine while I work from home)saying she hadnt got her car for the day, but when I dropped him off she saw me off at the door saying "if we do this regularly we'll soon get him out of the habit"
Dh brought him home later than I expected, having missed 2 feeds then ranted at me when the first thing I did was offer the breast...but I was so engorged I was desperate! He then said that he was officially stating that he wanted me to wean now. When I asked why he said that "everyone thinks you should", that "he isnt getting anything from it anymore", that "you enjoy it more than he does", that "he is going to be asking for 'bitty'(a la Little Britain) when he is 20!"...he then spouted some daily mail trash about bfing being dangerous and making babies dehydrated
I said that when he read up on extended bfing and had at least a modicum of knowledge about the subject and he could come up with a more scientific reason for stopping now, I would consider his demand.
I am still upset. I dont want to stop bfing..my little boy is running headlong into growing up(walking at 8 months, talking at 12mths etc)bfing is the only babyish thing he still does and I want to hang onto my baby for as long as possible ( we are not having any more children)but this is an emotional reason not scientific. I remember reading something about weaning being best anywhere between 2.4 and 7yrs. Surely they are still getting benefit from bf after 12 months besides the comfort and closeness that my Dh denies is his real reason for wanting me to stop?

about the bfing and trying to conceive i just want to say, my first took me 2 years to conceive yet i conceived ds1 without having had a period after having dd and still feeding her tonnes and i conceived ds2 on the second month of trying while still feeding ds1 3/4 times a day so in my case bfing actually seems to help conception.

i know every body is differant and the same won't be true for all women but i do feel sad when women tell me they stopped feeding to ttc.

I ve come in really late here but wanted to add something. I find most protesters to breast feeding an older child have some guilt issues going on about their own feeding history and want to believe that breast feeding beyond a point has no benefits and is actually about the mothers inability to let go. I usually ask whether they think cows milk(in huge quantities)is an important part of their childs diet and then say 'why would I give my child the milk of another mammal?' usually shuts them up!
Also I'm 40 been breast feeding and/or pregnant on anf off for 5 years and I cant seem to stop myself conceiving!
Good luck with the philistines x

Thanks Indihendrix..another fab response for the arsenal thank you

Dh by the way, for anyone wanting an update, still hasn't opened up as to his real reasons for wanting me to stop but has read all the literature I printed out and accepted my reasons for continuing (even though he still doesnt really want me to continue) and realises that nothing he says can make me stop before ds and I are ready... so we are still in it for the long haul Thanks to everyone for their advice and wit.