Breastfeeding to Prevent Allergies

You are so right about how breastfeeding can help prevent allergies.  My mother was prevented from breastfeeding me, because of what she thought was a rh incompatibility - which was later shown to be not the case.  Anyway, I was born allergic to cows milk, so was put on a soy formula.  Then, later in life I had a very bad soy allergy.

Because of my allergies, I breastfed both my children for years, but mainly after the first year and a half, just to put them to sleep (part of cuddling).  However, for the first six months or so, I was their sustenance.  Then, once they had a tooth or two, we started them on very bland nonallergenic solids, like apple sauce, potato, etc.  Milk wasn't started till much later ... we actually avoided milk for years, but milk products where the protein was altered by fermentation (yogurt, cheese), we started first.  

Neither of my children have any food allergies.  This was of course possible because I was not working outside the home at the time.  But, with an understanding employer, and hopefully good maternity leave, breastfeeding intensively for the first six months is possible.  It is definitely worth it, if the mother chooses this method of feeding her child.