Karel Marquez Keeps Breast Milk Letdown Fresh Overnight Without a Ref

In the first few months after giving birth, not only are new moms recovering from childbirth (which is more challenging if they had a C-section); they’re also establishing their milk supply and breastfeeding. Since a month ago, after Karel Marquez-Fariñas gave birth to her third child, son Kobe, she’s been busy doing just that.

This morning, July 18, 2019, Karel shared a tip that many moms might find useful when simultaneously breastfeeding and expressing milk, or collecting letdown, at night. She swears it helps her get more sleep even when she’s regularly nursing every two to four hours at night.

“Not all have refrigerators in their room (like me), so I just got this milk container and bag with ice packs, so all my ‘letdowns’ during the night will still be good/preserved,” Karel shared on Instagram. “Then, I freeze it in the morning right away when I am not feeling like a zombie anymore,” she added.

Letdown is the milk that Karel collects on one breast while nursing Kobe on the other. It adds to her milk stash for Kobe to feed on when he’s not able to nurse directly, like when she's out. It’s also a preparation for when she returns to working full time.

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Ideally, breast milk for storage goes to the refrigerator or freezer as soon as possible. Working mothers, though, also use insulated bags to temporarily store and transport breast milk on the way home.

As Karel showed, it works just fine during nighttime feedings as well. She doesn’t have to make the trip to the refrigerator to store her milk letdown. “What I like about this is that it’s still so cold in the morning. Para-paraan to stash milk,” the mom of three said.

Karel is grateful that she’s able to provide Kobe with breast milk. “It is so not easy to breastfeed for some, like me. It is very challenging,” she wrote on Instagram. That’s why she’s been gracious to dispense tips that worked for her and what she learned from experience. After all, she’s been through this twice before.

But she’s also still learning from other moms as well. “I salute you working moms who give your little ones liquid gold. I am still figuring out how to do it, especially when I go to work full time soon!” Karel wrote, adding some questions for these working nursing moms.

“When you know you are tired but will never get tired at the same time because of this kind of unconditional love. ‘Tired but happy’ ang peg, all for my love for him!” the dedicated breastfeeding mom said. At the end of each day, “Laban lang,” Karel wrote in one of her posts tagged as #KarelsBreastfeedingStories.

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