When Kathryn “Kat” Stangler was growing up as the youngest of four children, she said she had no maternal instinct and never truly wanted her own children.
That all changed when the religious studies and philosophy major went to Seattle to be with her pregnant sister. That experience greatly shifted Stangler’s outlook about motherhood and medicine away from the traditional western society approach to birth and toward a more educated, personal and passionate method of not treating an expectant mother like a patient at a hospital.
“I was doulaing before I knew what a doula was,” said Stangler, now a mother of two, as well as a doula and childbirth educator in Northfield.
Stangler opened the practice she calls “Singing Doula” after she found her business partner Barbara Nickel, a birth doula and photographer. They opened Grounded Heart Studio in December 2023. Their studio is located inside the Millis Hall on the Laura Baker Service Association campus at 211 Oak St. in Northfield.
The two doulas hold classes in the large room adorned with windows overlooking a woodsy portion of the Carleton College campus. Stangler said she enjoys watching the wildlife scampering around, especially the deer, nature’s sign for fertility.
Next door to the large classroom is a yoga studio, where evening classes are held by candlelight for busy mothers and expectant moms seeking a peaceful retreat.
Nickel said, although the two doulas have only been working together since fall of 2023, they’ve known each other for about 25 years.
“My business is unique, because I strive to photograph people being authentically themselves; I want people to feel comfortable when we work together and know that we can make something creative together,” said Nickel. “Whenever I have a photoshoot, I try to help my clients to have fun and not feel like the photoshoot is a chore.”
Nickel said she manages both doula and birth photography “by listening to my intuition and knowing what my clients need in the moment.” She explained that, if she’s photographing a birth, she’s not constantly taking photos. Instead, it is about finding the right moment to capture.
“I love to photograph families, births and weddings. Photographing all of these types of love in their differing intensities helps me to feel connected to the human experience,” said Nickel.
A new wave
The doulas believe the tide is turning.
“There’s a new wave of birth approaching,” said Stangler. “Women are not just going to lay on their back anymore. They’re not going to settle for the blanket standard of care anymore.”
She explained that today pregnant women have so many more choices regarding their birth journey. The plethora of options include selecting their environment, their attendants, their medication and their preparation.
While Stangler said she most often assists her clients at Northfield Hospital + Clinics, she has also cared for mothers in Faribault and Owatonna.
Northfield Hospital + Clinics Birth Center Manager Sherri Meyers, MSN, RN said that the doula’s role alongside the care team during a birth is to support the patient, physically and emotionally.
“There’s good evidence that having continuous support during labor and delivery is associated with improved outcomes — healthier babies and healthier moms,” said Meyers.
Meyers added that The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, which is the leading professional membership organization for obstetrician-gynecologists, supports having a doula.
Meyers explained that the doula is not part of the medical team, but a doula’s focus on patient support during labor does help the care team.
“Our nurses are very hands-on, and they love supporting their patients,” she said. “Having a doula there to give undivided attention to the patient lets the nurses also do other important parts of their job during labor and birth, including charting, prepping and using equipment, such as fetal monitors, and communicating with the doctor, midwife, other members of the care team.”
Music moma
Stangler, a 2014 Northfield High School graduate, said music plays a big role in her personality profile.
“I was always in theater, sang in choirs and participated in Rock N’ Roll Revival shows,” she said. “I thought I would be the next Kelly Clarkson.”
After completing her doula training four years ago in Austin, Texas, Stangler said she wanted to incorporate music into her doula practice. Armed with data that shows that music directly affects emotions and can have a physical impact, Stangler decided to offer expectant mothers their own musical soundtracks.
“I was raised Catholic, so I often burst out in song singing Christian hymns like “Rise Up and Sing” and “Go Tell It On The Mountain.”
Not only does music serve to reduce an escalating heart rate by offering a sense of calm and contentment, the right songs can also deliver a motivating energy boost. In the 30 births that Stangler has assisted with, each experience had a different vibe, a personal beat, a unique dynamic.
“Doulas aren’t just there for the joyous moments,” she said. “We’re there to work through all the emotions, offer resources and make suggestions. We build trust, we crack jokes, we give breaks as needed. We are an addition to the facilitating team.”
Stangler said her assistance to a mother doesn’t end with labor. She’s also available post partum to help with feeding, body recovery, bathing and napping.
“Birth is a moment, and post partum is forever,” she said.
The classes at Grounded Heart Studio give new mothers a place to not only share their birth stories in a supportive group setting, but also a space to journal, reflect and recover themselves individually.
“Birth is mental,” she said. “We help women with mental preparedness. Where the mind goes, the body follows.”
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