Introduction: A newborn is a helpless creature who longs for contact and relationship since birth. In the first year of life we talk about a so called symbiotic relationship which in the transition to extrauterine life represents a substitute for the biological bond between a child and his mother. With the disintegration of the symbiosis, the child begins to embark on the path of independence and individualisation. One of the most important turning points during this time can be introducing the child to kindergarten, which due to daily separation of the relationship, represents a great emotional challenge for the mother and the child. The inclusion of a child in to a nursery takes place during the most sensitive period of the child's development. Breastfeeding at the time of introduction to kindergarten can significantly affect the mothers' experiences during this time as well, however weaning is not a guarantee for a successful inclusion of a child in the kindergarten. Purpose: In the diploma thesis we want to investigate what mothers experience during the time of introduction of a child to kindergarten and what strategies for coping with stress are used by mothers who are still breastfeeding their children at this time, compared to mothers who stop breastfeeding before the introduction of their children to kindergarten. Methods: For the first part we used a descriptive method of working with a review of literature, obtained by searching the following online databases: SpringerLink, Medline and PubMed, using the COBISS database and University of Ljubljana's Digital Library (DiKUL). For the empirical part of the diploma thesis we used the qualitative method of work. We obtained the data through eight semi-structured interviews, including four breastfeeding mothers and four mothers who stop breastfeeding before the introduction. Results: We found that there are certain differences in experiences between mothers who were still breastfeeding their 11-month-old child when introduced to kindergarten and mothers who had stopped breastfeeding earlier. On average, mothers who were breastfeeding took slightly longer to introduce their child to kindergarten, but all mothers experienced feelings of anxiety during the period of introduction of their child to kindergarten. Parting from the mothers was more difficult for breastfed children than non-breastfed children. In most cases, mothers were relieved of the hardship by focusing on other activities and then actively spending the afternoon with their child. Discussion and conclusion: The results of our research show that the most common reason for introducing an 11-month-old child to kindergarten is the expiration of maternity leave. Mothers prepared their children for the change before introducing them to kindergarten, mainly by changing their daily routine. To make the introduction the least stressful possible, cooperation between the parent and the kindergarten staff are extremely important. It is also recommended that no major changes be introduced during this time as the child's entry into kindergarten is in itself a stressful event for both parents and children.
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