Meet the Team

Team Leader, Director

Leila Baker is the owner of Side by Side Doula Services. She became a birth and postnatal doula in 2014, and runs a doula preparation course. She is one of the Doula UK Directors and is a mentor and Leadership Team volunteer as well as hosting the Doula UK Podcast. Leila is a massage therapist, hypnobirthing teacher and breastfeeding and babywearing peer-supporter. Leila is passionate about providing inclusive, safe, family-centred support. She lives on the Isle of Wight with her husband and 3 youngest children.

Operations Director

Sara is a doula based in Northern Ireland and part of the collective Doulas of NI. She is passionate about birth, rights in childbirth and women’s choices, and has over 15 years experience in developing and delivering adult, learner-centred education.

Engagement Director

Trudi Dawson has been a member of Doula UK since 2007. Over the years she has volunteered as Committee Secretary, Magazine Editor, Mentor and Course Assessor. Trudi is a Birth and Postnatal doula, Antenatal Teacher, Infant Feeding Specialist, Holistic Sleep Coach and RYT 325hrs Yoga Instructor. She lives in East Sussex with her three children, three cats and should learn to say ‘no’ more. 

Finance Director

Katrina joined the volunteer Leadership Team as Head of Finance in May 2017. Katrina works in retail finance at the Furness Building Society and holds a DFSM diploma in financial services management. She has been a member of Doula UK since 2007.

Partnership Coordinator

Kirstie is an experienced doula, perinatal educator, and owner of The Essex Birth Company. She has a passion for ensuring families have a positive pregnancy, birth, and postnatal period, through education, support and sharing her workshops. Kirstie is also passionate about bringing people together and building positive and supportive relationships. She believes we should all be supporting one another to thrive. Currently studying to become a perinatal psychotherapist, mental health for families and birth workers is at the forefront of Kirstie’s mind. 

Access Fund Coordinator

Kimberly (aka The Birth Doula UK) lives in Essex with her husband and two daughters aged 5 and 7. She has been a doula since 2020, prior to that Kimberly was a hypnobirthing instructor for several years and before that worked in London in various corporate roles around policy, process change, and project management.

Business, Operations and Support Assistant and Safeguarding Lead (Staff)

Michele is a Birth and Postnatal Doula working across Derbyshire, committed to ensuring that families feel heard, informed, and cared for as they welcome new life. Her work is driven by a belief in the importance of compassion, choice, and support during the perinatal period. Beyond her doula work, Michele is an active volunteer with Derbyshire Maternity & Neonatal Voices Partnership, Connected Perinatal Support CIC, and Doulas Without Borders. She also supports the wider doula community as the Designated Safeguarding Lead for Doula UK.

Joint CPD Coordinators

Ellie and Luiza are birth & postnatal doulas, antenatal teachers & birth trauma practitioners. They work in a shared care capacity supporting families through pregnancy, birth & beyond. They’re passionate about supporting their fellow doulas, new & experienced, to continue to find passion in their work, whilst also caring for themselves.

Training Coordinator

Alison Ogier has been a doula since 2012 and has been on the Leadership Team since in various roles. She co-coordinates Training, the Doula Support Network and is the Rep for Essex. She is passionate about choice, doulas, Doula UK and empowering the people we support. She moved from Guernsey to the UK in 1998 and has six children. She is a Chair of Governors; Barnardos Infant feeding volunteer, loves fundraising and her chihuahua.

Communications, Engagement and Fundraising Manager (Staff)

Sarah is a birth doula and mentor based in North Yorkshire. Sarah began her doula career in 2011 and started working for Doula UK in 2019. As part of her role she enjoys producing the annual conference, writing newsletters, editing the website, promoting doulas in the press, organising events, fundraising and supporting volunteers. She is driven by her desire to improve the experience of all families during and after the birth of a baby.

Course Liaison

Sophia has been a birth and postnatal doula since 2001.  She is a passionate advocate for holistic health and loves to hold space for women as they transition from maiden to mother and beyond.  She is a Homeopath, Clinical Aromatherapist, founder of Hestia's Flame Natural Candles, Reiki Master & Teacher and an M Technique Practitioner and Instructor.  She lives in East Sussex and is mother of four.

Mentoring Coordinator

Tara is a doula working in Belfast as part of the collective Doulas of NI and the owner of The Little Yoga House Belfast, a women's only studio helping women of all life stages feel, strong, confident and safe in their bodies through the nurturing power of yoga,  reflexology and holistic birth support.

She is a mum of 3 children, who are the inspiration for all that she does and loves good food, good cocktails and good craic.