Strawb - your H isn't fully supporting you bfing, mine is v supportive. Although only in the sense that he can see it works well and he doesn't have to get involved, he doesn't actually care deeply about bfeeding politics or anything! Also I'd knee him in the bollocks if he expressed disapproval .
There are various ways to deal with people telling you their opinions on when you should stop feeding - first the "feck off!" approach where you tell them to mind their own business in no uncertain terms...Then there's the "nod, smile, mmm" approach, where you adopt a benign expression and appear to agree with them without actually doing so. Also the "blind them with science/information overload" approach - where eventually they'll be agreeing with you just to get you to stop reeling off facts and figures. This one used to work well with my mother, who didn't ever breastfeed and couldn't understand why I was so passionate about it.
Alkar - if unhelpful people say you're making it hard for yourself by continuing, point out that even if that were the case, you're not making it hard for them so they can butt out of your business. My best example of why breastfeeding into toddlerhood is fabulous: DS2 stopped bfing at 8 months and a few months later ended up dehydrated in hospital because he'd had some bug and didn't want to eat or drink. DS3 at the same sort of age had a bug - really high temp, 20 nappies an hour type of thing - and only wanted to bfeed - so we got through that without a trip to the doctor let alone hospital. Bfing toddlers is not always the most enjoyable thing ( to people who say the mother only does it for herself) but the benefits have been so obvious to me, compared to my first 2 that I only bfed as babies. Not sure I'm planning to bf this one for as long as DD fed (4.5 years!) but certainly till he's 2 or 3.
Feeling quite run down atm but DS4 is still a happy chappy and his cold lasted about a day!
Lljkk - eek at coil! I had one (non hormonal) for a few months before last preg, didn't have too many bad effects but just didn't like feeling it was there all the time. Had it removed for ttc and pretty sure I wouldn't have one again. Don't like contraception. Hence the 5 children
Baby classes are not great for meeting people in my experience - you might get lucky though, and the babies will probably enjoy gym. I spent most of DS1's babyhood not knowing anyone locally, then when he started school made friends with various people who lived v near, if only we'd got together several years before school started!
Princessllama - hope you're feeling better now and can get back on the alcohol (!) - I'm trying to cut back as had got into the habit of a glass of wine most evenings, going to stick to weekends now - no wonder I'm still so bloody fat!
Rozzy have you found the holy grail of holidays yet? Can't think of anything cheap, warm and northern in school hols! I'd probably either spend too much and go to a nice hotel with childcare (Gleneagles??!) or rent a cottage in the middle of nowhere with an open fire. But an unheated caravan would be miserable. If the weather's not too awful we might head back to the beach in cornwall for a night or 2 in half term this was my friend's idea, not sure I'm entirely up for camping in October but we'll see....going to Center Parcs in a couple of weeks so will see if we still need a holiday after that.
Ds4 has had enough of his playcentre thing so better go pick him up, laters...