Leeann Haines

1/16/2020

Working with Regina was such a blessing. She was my birth doula, as well as my postpartum doula. Every step of the way, Regina was incredibly supportive. I could ask her any question, no matter how silly it may have felt. She is straightforward, while also being loving and kind. She approaches her practice in a holistic way, really taking into consideration the mother's needs from all angles.

Our prenatal visits were so fun and informative. We got to know Regina better, while also learning a ton about what birth will be like. At the hospital, Regina is a champion. She coached me through difficult moments and comforted me when I started to feel anxious. I can't imagine my birth experience without her. She was right with me during the contractions and the ultimate guide through pushing. Her partnership with my husband throughout the process gave me tidbits of strength when I needed it most. With Regina, you are in good hands.

She is also an all-star postpartum doula. She was so gentle with me during this stage and was my rock when I started to feel like I couldn't handle the hormone highs and lows. She is great with babies and is clearly passionate about her work. Regina is also an AMAZING cook. We had delicious soups, Brazilian food, and breakfasts. I felt so taken care of when she was around. I didn't want her to leave! 

Our family is so grateful for our time with Regina. She is an essential part of my birth story and truly feels like a sister.

Elizabeth

7/28/2019

Being a second time mom, I wasn’t sure if I needed a doula. But I’m so glad I used one. Regina was so responsive and loving, answering all of my questions and relieving many of my anxieties about having 2 children. And when I ended up having a complicated birth and I could not have done it without the support and calm that Regina brings to the delivery room. She was so informative and helped me understand what was happening during the whole process. I will be forever grateful to have had her by my side! I would without a doubt want to have Regina be my doula if I were to have more children! She will forever be a part of the family!

Lily Milash

6/4/2019

I hired Regina initially as my postpartum doula while I was expecting my son and was very nervous about the birth and also inial days after returning home with a new born. I liked Regina immediately from the first time I met her and could sense that she would be very good at the job. She also just oozed kindness and understanding that immediately made me feel at ease with her. From then, even before her job officially started, she helped me think through the most essential things I need while prepping to welcome my son and was just always a text message away. Since Regina lives conveniently very close to me, we were able to workout a convenient schedule and I ended up using her services way longer than the initial few weeks I had anticipated. I always felt that I had the type of support I needed because she is on top of all-things-parenthood and felt immensly comfortable leaving my son in her care while I went out for some "me" time or run errands. Since we cannot keep her just for ourselves, we are sharing her with you upcoming parents :) Any mother/parents would be very lucky to have her and you will not regret hiring her. PS. her cooking is to die for and she will keep you up to date on all the best deals in town. Love, love her!!

Cindy

3/6/2019

Given that I'm a first-time mom - and a busy professional - I really wanted a doula who could guide me through my pregnancy, the childbirth process and also the postpartum period.  From a personal standpoint, I wanted a doula who was practical in terms of her advice, evidence-based, and who understood my situation as a single mom and the kind of support I would need as a result of that scenraio.  

I could not have asked for a better doula than Regina.  She was always responsive to text messages or phone calls - and once she found that I preferred texting, she defaulted to that communication method immediately.  As I really didn't want to have to do too much research/exploration on my own, Regina was great about prompting me in both of our pre-labor meetings to determine whether I had concerns re pain management, expectations re labor, etc, and helped me manage my expectations.  She was also wonderful about prompting me to provide her with updates from my OB visits, reminders to do my Kegels, and generally checked in to make sure I was ok - especially as the due date loomed closer.    

During labor, she was enormously helpful, as well, and able to tell me whether things were "normal" or asking if I needed or wanted certain things as my labor progressed.  It helped that she got along great with my cousin who was also in the labor & delivery room and my "birth partner."  

Postpartum, Regina really proved her worth as she responded to all of my various texts re my postpartum recovery, whether it was related to the baby or related to my physical recovery.  She had great suggestions, and hugely helpful in helping me find my "new normal."  I cannot say enough great things about her - but perhaps it's best put to say that while she started off as my doula, I now consider her a friend.  

Miranda R

3/4/2019

Regina is warm, compassionate, loving, and knoweldgable yet has a no nonsense attitude and gets straight to the point if something is not right. These qualities she posseses came in handy when we were in the hospital and were given the runaround during early labor. While I had an extrememly long labor, Regina never once let her guard down aside from a mandated nap by myself and the nursing staff. She knows all the things to say and do considering we do not have family in NYC. We also hired her for postpartum work, initially only for five days but ended up keeping her for 3 weeks, she kept our baby happy, our dog had great walks and our bellies were always full, not sure how we would have made it without her. We plan on expanding our family rather quickly and hope to have her by our side at each pregnancy.

Amy Warren

4/14/2018

It's difficult for me to verbalize how helpful Regina was to me during my pregnancy, birth, and post-partum time. Regina was a true support and educator during my pregnancy journey. We luckily got her early in my 2nd trimster so I was able to build a realtionship with her throughout my pregnancy. She was always there for constant support via text. She answered tons of quetions, taught me things I didn't know, calmed my nerves, and genuinely listened to my concerns. I find her warm and comforting and also realistic and practicial. She is flexible in her approach and it felt as if she met me where I was at and where my comfort levels were. She never pressured me or made me feel like there was one "right way". I found her pre-natal visits very informative and she went through my birth plan with me very clearly and showed me all the best labor exercises and tips. Although I had a C-section, she was there for constant support before and after the surgery. She took gorgeous photos of my baby and she followed up with me the whole week or two after making sure we were OK and settling in. When she came for the postnatal visit, it felt like she was a family member. I would refer Regina to anyone who is thinking of hiring a birth Doula. She embodies the true essence of an educator/ birth doula and her persona/energy is exactly what you'd want during this most intense, special, and intimate part of your life bringing a newborn into this world. Lastly, she genuinely loves babies and can make a mean quiche!

Simone Toomer

3/27/2018

As I neared my due date I knew that healthy foods being prepped would be a big aspect of postpartum support for me. I knew Regina already as doula friend and was excited to hear about her adding meal prep to her services. She shared with me some of the dishes and baked goods she made for her clients and I knew right away my family would benefit from some healthy meals alongside our meal train my community had set up for us. Also as a nursing mom, the bake goods would be awesome late night snacks.

In my 2nd week postpartum I received the delivery of meals and snacks for my family. Meals were nicely packed as complete dishes and preperation was just a matter of popping into the microwave or oven. Portions were just right and the flavors were appetizing. Regina's blueberry muffins were perfect for my late night nursing snacks or to add to my daughters breakfast before school drop off.

I encourage anyone to consider adding a few dishes to any package they have with Regina.

Eva McCloskey

2/21/2018

Regina was recommended to us by a close friend and we couldn't be happier with her services.

If you're on the fence about using a doula, we can't say enough good things about our experience with Regina. She was a great balance of new school and old school thinking in terms of pregnancy and labor.

She is incredibly responsive, getting back to us immediately with the exception of when she's in another delivery. She provided informed answers to our millions of questions, along with a handful of options, allowing us to make the choices we wanted for our baby. She was also really comforting (and helpful) when we got the disappointing news that I needed to deliver via C-section. I felt cared for and listened to throughout the entire process.

Also important to note that she's an AMAZING cook!

We couldn't have been happier with our choice to hire Regina and are delighted that she continues to take an interest in our success as parents long after our baby boy arrived.

- Eva & David

Sam Yi

1/10/2018

You can instantly tell that Regina was cut out to be a Doula. She's kind, patient, knowledgeable and brave. My labor was somewhat long but at the last minute things moved fast. I was laboring for 10 hours and was only at 6cm, the nurses had stepped out so I could rest, my husband had stepped out for a snack from vending machine and it was just me and Regina, five minutes later i felt the hugest contraction and swore the baby was coming out, Regina saw the baby crowning and calmly but swiftly called back the nurses and doctor who were standing right outside our room, two min later my son was born just as my husband was walking in with a kitkat in his mouth in utter shock.

Because my husband and I had no clue about babies, we also hired Regina for postpartum care, she showed us the basics so we could survive after she left. We heard from another past client of hers that she was a phenominal cook and oh my goodness its TRUE, ask her to make you the Brazilian Chicken Dinner and not to forget the Brazilian desert.

All in all we love everything about Regina, my brother and his husband are having their first baby via surrogacy and are ready for Regina to help them when their baby comes home from hospital!

Michelle Cohlan

10/23/2017

Working with Regina was the best thing we could have done for the birth of our son, Jonah. Leading up to the birth, she was always available for questions and advice. During the birth, she came equipped with items to keep me comfortable and her calm demeanor. She visited us after the birth and well and as always, was so helpful. We feel like she became part of our little family. We couldn't imagine bringing Jonah into this world without her.

Judith Diallo

9/15/2017

I am so happy to have hired Regina for the birth of our son at NYU. I got the birth experience I wanted, which was to have an unmedicated natural birth. Regina was very helpful in preparing me during our home visit and a great support during labor. I was lucky that I was only in labor for 7h. In addition to being a great support, Regina also took amazing pictures during labor & after delivery and I will forever be grateful to have these special moments captured with these beautiful pictures. Regina is such a warm person and always respected our wishes and was also a great support for my husband. I appreciated her traveling to our home in Queens for the pre and post visit as well, which made things for us much easier. I would absolutely recommend her to anyone and would hire her again in a heartbeat!

Deanna Neiers

9/12/2017

I would recommend Regina's doula services.  Pre-birth, she was always availble for questions and very quick to respond.  She checked in on me often and provided resources to assit me.  During my labor and birth, she was great about suggesting different movements and positions in order to ease my discomfort and help bring the baby down.  She kept my husband involved and ensured that he was comfortable as well.  As a bonus, she took photos during labor and after birth.

Ksenia Ledabyl

9/6/2017

My husband and I worked with Regina for the birth of our first baby in August 2017. Having no experience with US healthcare system and aiming for a natural birth, this was one of the best decisions we have made in preparation for delivery. Leading up to labor we really liked how professional and warm Regina was: she immediately made it very easy for us to feel extremely comfortable around her, as if we'd known her for years. She excelled at understanding our needs and wants and helped us with natural birth techniques that we wanted. In the early stages of labor, Regina helped us feel at ease, helping with massages and Rebozo techniques and even setting the room up with pleasant aroma diffusers and lighting. During labor, I felt my husband's support nonstop, which was only possible thanks to Regina's presence. She was amazing at "reading" me when I needed her to be more present with me, give my husband more support, or allow him to step out and get water for me. She supported my husband and helped us stick with our original plan of natural birth even when I was ready to give up.

Once we got home, Regina came over with a homemade (so delicious) quiche that carried us in the crazy first few days. She helped us get more confident with our new roles as parents and continued supporting us even after the job was done. My husband said he couldn't have done it the way we wanted without Regina, and I fully agree. If we decide to have a doula for our second child, we wouldn't think twice about calling Regina.

Philip Diaz

8/30/2017

My wife and I interviewed quite a few doulas before we found Regina here on doulamatch. Her calm demeanor and strong confidence is what won us over. This was our first child after multiple losses and a still birth, she was sensitive to our needs throughout the entire pregnancy. When Regina met us at the hospital, we knew we were in good hands. She had numerous techniques to help labor along, she set up the room as a tranquil space, used her essential oils to make the room smell inviting, but what I really loved is that she included me in everything so I could assist and help my wife. Now that we are home and settled in, we are still contacting her for postpartum questions/advice. Oh, and although she claims to not be a professional photographer, she takes amaaazing pics and is an equally amazing cook! We hope to have more children in the near future and will request Regina to be by our side once again.

Heather Kiely

5/30/2017

Right from the get go, Regina showed incredibly knowledge, leadership, and compassion. She was patient with us, always avilable for questions and concerns, and incredibly informative. She showed a great deal of empathy and understanding for our families' fertility issues and how long it took us to get pregnant, the nuance of that, and how that informed some feelings and perspective we had regarding the birth.

During the birth, Regina showed a great deal of leadership and she put me and my husband at ease. When circumstances changed and we were forced to make decisions regarding medical intervention, Regina acted as a knowledgable sounding board who helped us make decisions that we felt good about.

After the birth, Regina was immensely helpful in giving us guidance and reassurance about our new role as parents.

I couldn't recommend Regina anymore highly. Not only is she a gifted doula but she is a lovely person and a joy to be around. She also is an amazing cook and photographer and we have photos from our birth that she took that we will cherish forever.

Maria C

5/30/2017

I just want to start off by saying that I love Regina! I have NO idea what I would have done withought her. She brought a calm presence to the delivery room while my husband was a frantic mess. She had a number of techniques she used with the Rebozo that I felt helped things along.  For a petite woman she  has the most amazing hands and gives the most amazing massages in between contractions, I even managed to take quick mini naps during each contraction because her massages were that soothing! Most importantly those mini naps helped me acquire more energy so I can push effectively. She stayed with us until our baby had a proper latch, its been a few weeks and breastfeeding is a success! I honestly did not want her to leave because she made us feel safe but since we plan on expanding our family im excited to know that she will be back in our lives before we know it. I have recommended Regina to a few friends who are currently trying to conceive but hope she's not booked when its my turn again!!

Nikki Canubida

4/23/2017

I was pregnant with my first child, and my husband was serving overseas for the army- I was slightly overwhelmed.  So I was glad that I had Regina as a source of support during my labor and delivery.  Since this was my first experience, I was grateful to have Regina as a coach and source of expertise.  When I had to be induced last minute, she was at my side throughout the whole labor, and she was a source of reassuring and calm energy during that stressful time.  Pre-labor, I had thought that I would succumb to the pain of contractons and choose epidural for relief.  But, with Regina's help and pain management techniques, I was able to have my labor medication free.  I am so glad that Regina helped me experience my labor without an epidural.  I believe feeling the contractions and following Regina's labor exercises also helped in my quick 3/4 hour long delivery!  Also, during delivery so many things happen, so it was great to have Regina remind me of what I had planned for my birth experience during pre-labor.  Regina is also a great source for any questions that come up post labor- healing, sleep patterns, baby wearing, etc.  I would hire Regina again if my husband and I plan to have a second!

Lynda Ostachiewicz

3/17/2017

My son Liam is 19 months now. I was not one of those moms who planned on getting pregnant; he was a very good surprise, but I was not prepared. Regina came recommended through friends of mine and proved to be an endless resource of great information. She had terrific recommendations with regard to choosing the right ways to encourage the best sleeping patterns, lactation and getting the right latch, and choosing the right starter foods. (It helps that she is a killer chef!) Regina was also very helpful with ways to ease the pain during the healing of my cesarean. I had an emergency C and was in the hospital for 6 days after my little guy was born, and really needed guidance on pain management, and also breastfeeding while healing. Overall, Regina was truly a friend throughout that whole first year my son was born, and was never pushy with her recommendations. She’s warm and welcoming, and immediately puts you at ease. (Which, in NYC, I think we all could use a little of that.) I look forward to working with her when I am pregnant with my second for the whole process.