Posted by My STEAM Project was on how mothers and babies benefit from this natural process, breast feeding. I really enjoyed learning about lactation and how important it was for children, but thought it would be interesting to learn how mothers benefit from this experience as well. I discuss how essential breast feeding is for babies, as it starts new babies with strong and healthy immune systems that will continue to protect and promote healthy lifestyles throughout their years. Mothers, although it may not seem obvious also have wonderful health benefits from breast feeding their children, as well as the great bond they grow with each other. For my art piece, because my topic was mother and child, I wanted to find something that was already an important figure to represent them. I chose to recreate Raphael’s famous painting, Madonna and Child. I decided to place the benefits of breast feeding in words outlining the mother and child. The mother is tenderly holding her child the main focus of the art piece because the paper is based on them and all of the benefits they both receive. 
Olivia’s project covered the benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child. She presented her findings on the subject through a written paper and an artist drawing. The written paper discussed the importance of breastfeeding to the baby and mother, as well as some of the downsides of feeding babies formula. Regarding the mother, Olivia discussed the oxytocin hormone loop, and the links oxytocin has to increased maternal bonds, lower numbers of mental health issues, and helping the mother’s body return of pre-pregnancy size. She went on to talk about benefits to babies, including the introductions of antibodies and immunoglobulin into the child, delivered through breastmilk. Olivia stated that breastfeeding prevents childhood obesity and leads to less behavior problems in the future. She goes on to talk about some of the disadvantages of formula feeding, including lack of antibodies in formula leading to a weakened immune system and the risk it may put children at for illness and poor nutrition. Olivia recommended public health initiatives to promote breastfeeding, helping to bring an end to the stigmatization. Olivias artistic interpretation of her paper was a recreation of the famous Raphael painting, Madonna and Child. She replicated this iconic image, surrounded by the benefits of breastfeeding written out as the background of the piece. It was a very good artistic interpretation of the written work.