Meet Zoe Regina

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Zoe Regina. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Zoe below.

Zoe, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

My mom is very outspoken about the process of giving birth, she chose to give birth to me and my brothers at home with midwives and because I am the oldest I became very aware of her process at a young age. She continued an open conversation with all her kids our whole lives (along with videos for each of our births). Labor and birth spaces are something I feel comfortable existing within and am always curious to learn more and hear other’s experiences.

My “career path” never went towards birthwork because I knew from a very young age I wanted to be a dancer. I started at 4 years old, did ballet all through high school, changed to modern dance at a conservatory college, and up until covid was actively making work and performing in NYC. Being a movement artist allowed me to make many friends in bodywork/wellness communities and taught me so many things about my own body and self awareness but also all human bodies.

I am in awe of the body and really like learning about all the things it can do. Pregnancy and birth have always been at the top of that list but I pushed it to the side because I never thought birthwork made sense with performing, it seemed like two really hectic things trying to come together and I didn’t know anyone that did both. Then covid hit and almost all my performing opportunities stopped. I won’t get into all the details of how I was feeling about the dance community before covid and feelings of needing a shift anyway but those things were definitely there.

During that time my acupuncturist (for anyone in NYC his name is Dr. Christopher Peacock at The Rooted Refuge – AMAZING) did a zoom master class on fascia and meridian pathways and the part I was most interested in was that as an embryo the places the cell splits end up being our meridian pathways that are then used to help us reconnect to them through acupuncture (my mind was blown). But I didn’t feel the pull to be the acupuncturist, I felt the pull to be the one to recommend the acupuncturist. To be knowledgeable enough to help others access what they want/need and being able to use my physicality/movement/empathy along with them.

A few months later and after lots of journaling I found an instagram of a new fellow dancer who also is a doula! I reached out to her and she chatted with me that it is totally possible to do both and gave me recommendations for doula certification programs. I began right away!

I knew I found my purpose when I was interested in something enough to study it. When I continued on despite the doubt that would creep in. When I finally got to experience my first birth with a client and all the “what if I don’t remember what I learned” thoughts melted away. When I came home from a 17 hour birth exhausted but fulfilled. When I got a call at 3am that they were on their way to the hospital and I popped right up out of bed energized and ready to go. When my clients send me lovely messages after that they couldn’t have done it without me – my heart feels full.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

Hi, I am Zoe. My business name is Zoe Regina (instagram.com/zoeregina + zoeregina.com).
I am a full-spectrum doula. I witness and hold space for all events and all people on their journey with pregnancy, birth, postpartum, miscarriage, abortion, and more.

What is a full spectrum doula? (or birthworker, reproductive careworker, birth keeper – I may use any of these or others)
• Someone who provides emotional, physical, and practical support to people who are pregnant and give birth

I encourage everyone to stay true to themselves during these times of great change – through education, advocacy, planning, honing your intuition, and most importantly letting it all go.

I honor change and want to highlight the transitions, physically and emotionally. The world we live in moves fast and often we are not left the space to process our experience of it – I would like to break that norm and slow it all down.

I am a companion to all in the spaces of change when we are most vulnerable, most raw, and most in need of community. To learn together and create a mutual respect. To help move through anxiety and normalize these moments relating so much to the body and spirit connection that we tend to throw aside in Western culture. I come without an agenda, each person decides what happens with their body and their life, I am here to support the decisions you make and to help actualize them. And of course disrupt a flawed system in any way we can 😉

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

1. Self Reflection – I think my ability to and the practicing I did to get better with mindfulness, quiet alone time, and journaling, all led to feeling more confident in my decisions and a better understanding of what I wanted and how to get it.

2. Time management – We live with a lot of new remote work/classes/etc which is great in a lot of ways because learning is more flexible and accessible but a lot of the programs are self paced so I had to learn to set alarms and timers and create myself a weekly schedule in order to finish coursework on time. This still applies after schooling for jobs like mine where you work for yourself and gather your own clients.

3. Movement – this might be a little specific to what I do but I still think everyone can benefit from moving their body every day. It is amazing what a workout or even a walk around the block will do to stimulate the brain and clear up stagnation, no matter what the job field or task you are trying to accomplish.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I would love to meet other doulas in NYC! To share experiences, learn from each other, and if we get along to be a backup for one another. The timing of birth is unpredictable so it is really helpful to have 2 people ready to go in order to take on more clients and help more people.

If you are a doula, you read my description of what I do and relate to it, are inclusive of all people no matter their race and how they identify, then let’s chat!

You can dm me on instagram (instagram.com/zoeregina) or email me ([email protected])

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zoeregina.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zoeregina/