Antenatal Course South Lakes Class Leaders & Facilitators
Meet Leanne.
Hi, I’m Leanne, a doula, antenatal educator, nurse specialist and the founder of Doula Diary. I support expectant parents across Barrow-in-Furness, Ulverston, and the South Lakes with independent antenatal classes designed to help you feel informed, confident, and truly prepared for birth and early parenthood.
For over three years I’ve worked closely with families throughout pregnancy, birth, and the early postnatal period. Through this hands-on experience I’ve seen what parents really need, honest education, practical tools, emotional preparation, and space to ask real questions without pressure or judgement. My antenatal courses are built around real-life birth preparation, not just theory, and are designed to support both you and your birth partner.
My approach blends evidence-based antenatal education with somatic practices, body awareness, nervous system support, and realistic preparation for labour, birth choices, recovery, and life with a newborn. I am passionate about helping parents understand their options, navigate risk conversations with confidence, and feel grounded in their own instincts.
Families often choose in person group antenatal classes because they want connection and something more personal than large national courses. A calm, welcoming environment where connection, honesty, and real preparation come first. My programmes support first-time parents, experienced parents, VBAC families, and anyone looking for a more holistic, doula-led antenatal experience.
Alongside teaching antenatal education, I run baby classes, parent wellbeing groups, and peer support spaces, creating a continuous circle of care from pregnancy through early parenthood.
If you’re looking for independent antenatal classes in Barrow, Ulverston, or the South Lakes that feel supportive, practical and grounded in real experience, you are in the right place.
Meet Katie – Baby & Child Sleep Coach
Hi, I’m Katie, a gentle, holistic baby and child sleep coach supporting families with children aged 0–10 years. My approach is responsive, relationship-focused and grounded in the science of sleep, helping parents understand what sits underneath their child’s sleep challenges so they can make changes that feel realistic, respectful and right for their family.
As a mum of three, I understand first-hand how exhausting broken nights can be and how overwhelming early parenthood sometimes feels. My work is rooted in compassion and real-life experience, supporting families to find calm, confidence and more restful nights without pressure or one-size-fits-all methods.
Katie’s Antenatal Sleep Session
In the antenatal course session, parents can expect a calm and supportive introduction to their baby’s sleep in the early months. Together we explore what is biologically normal for newborns, helping you feel reassured and prepared for the rhythms of early life with your baby.
The session includes:
Safe sleep guidance in line with The Lullaby Trust recommendations
How to create a safe and supportive sleep environment from day one
What to expect from newborn sleep patterns in the early weeks and months
Gentle ways to begin shaping healthy sleep foundations that support your baby’s development and your whole family’s wellbeing
Katie’s sessions are designed to leave parents feeling informed, reassured and empowered with realistic expectations, practical understanding and confidence as they begin their parenting journey.
Karen Ellis is a former midwife, mum of two and postnatal recovery expert who is passionate about helping women feel confident and informed in their bodies during pregnancy and beyond.
Drawing on her clinical midwifery experience and her own lived experience of motherhood, Karen teaches pelvic floor and core health in a way that feels practical, down-to-earth and easy to understand. She believes women deserve more than vague advice or being told to “just do your pelvic floor squeezes” and instead focuses on helping you truly connect with your body, trust it and support it through pregnancy, birth and early recovery.
Her sessions are calm, supportive and empowering, leaving women feeling reassured, prepared and far more confident about what their bodies are capable of.
