Today we’d like to introduce you to Kat Stangler.
Hi Kat, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Becoming a birth doula was never part of my plan. At 14, I was told there was almost a 100% chance I was infertile. Overnight, children, pregnancy, and motherhood fell off my radar, replaced instead by spontaneity, travel, and a love of the untraditional. I spent a decade in the service industry, bartending and building community in unexpected ways, all while earning a double major in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Hamline University, graduating in 2014.
In 2018, my life pivoted. I was living out of my 2004 Chevy Astro van when my sister called from the Pacific Northwest to say she was pregnant. With just $500 to my name, I headed west to support her—and unknowingly stepped into my life’s calling.
Being present for her journey was the spark. Watching the raw power, resilience, and wonder of childbirth cracked me wide open. It was my “aha” moment, the one that changed everything. I dove into doula training in 2020, fueled by nothing but intuition and a deep pull I couldn’t explain.
Nearly six years and over 130 families later, my work has expanded far beyond that first leap of faith. I’ve supported parents through every pathway to parenthood—IVF journeys, high-risk pregnancies, surrogacy, water births, single parenthood, and everything in between. I’ve since become a certified childbirth educator, trained postpartum doula, and co-founder of Sanctuary Studio, a wellness haven I share with my sister, Natalie Stangler in Northfield, MN. It’s now the space where I hold pregnancy circles, teach birth classes, and walk with clients through the most transformative seasons of their lives.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting a new chapter in January 2020 came with challenges no one could have planned for. Hospitals weren’t allowing partners into delivery rooms, let alone doulas, and just as I was eager to begin my work, the world shut down.
At the same time, life took an unexpected turn: after a decade of infertility, I became pregnant during lockdown. I discovered the pregnancy while my partner was home in the Netherlands, unable to return because of travel restrictions, and what should have been a joyful time quickly became marked by isolation, fear, and uncertainty. After a less-than-relaxing two-week quarantine in Aruba, he was finally by my side for the birth of our daughter. Just six weeks later, I learned I was pregnant with our son, and he had to return overseas, facing another pregnancy on my own.
Today, my husband and I are reunited in the U.S. with two lively toddlers, and those years shaped me in ways I couldn’t have imagined. The experience completely broke me down and rebuilt me with a deeper perspective on the transformation of parenthood.
I don’t bring my personal story into my client work, but I do carry the lesson it gave me: every birth journey is unique and deserves connection, compassion, and support. We never truly know what someone is facing beneath the surface, and as a doula, it’s my job to offer families steady, nonjudgmental support every step of the way.
Through COVID, back-to-back pregnancies, and immigration battles, I’ve faced plenty of obstacles, but there’s always been a constant voice reminding me to keep going. And that’s what I’ve done.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Golden Hour Birth Services?
At its core, a doula’s role is about steady support—emotional, physical, and informational—so families feel prepared, empowered, and truly seen throughout pregnancy, birth, and beyond. I approach every birth by blending the sacred with the evidence-based: honoring the emotional, transformative power of birth while offering the knowledge and tools that build confidence.
My work is rooted in connection—listening to your story, understanding your needs, and discovering how I can best walk alongside you. I offer a range of services to meet families wherever they are, including birth doula support, childbirth education classes, pregnancy and postpartum circles, private birth prep sessions, and personalized postpartum wellness sessions. These gatherings and sessions can take place at Sanctuary Studio, in the comfort of your own home, or virtually.
Over time, I’ve noticed that many families prepare for birth by focusing on everything but themselves—bags, pumps, timing contractions. Those details matter, but when labor begins, it’s your breath, your mindset, and your trust in your body that carry you through. Helping families discover and lean into that truth is at the heart of my work.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
When I first became a doula, I had bright eyes and big dreams—we left our training eager to make a difference, and we do. The work we do is real, remarkable, and deeply meaningful, and I see myself doing this forever. But after six years, I’ve realized that, as powerful as our support is, doulas often act as a bandaid for a deeply flawed system. Families shouldn’t need us to “save” them—they deserve care that’s safe, equitable, and designed to serve them from the start. True change means more midwifery-led models, safe spaces for birth, and greater access to culturally competent providers—especially for Black, Indigenous, and other families of color.
The need for doulas is growing—more families want holistic, personalized care, more people are choosing this path, and insurance coverage is expanding. All of this is exciting for the doula community—but it cannot replace the deeper systemic reforms that are still needed to make birth safe and supportive for everyone. Still, I see the impact of doula support every time a family leaves birth feeling powerful, supported, and heard—and that’s why I keep going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.goldenhourbirthservicesmn.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/golden.glow.doula/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=golden%20hour%20birth%20services
