Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaitlyn Grace Schaefer.
Hi Kaitlyn Grace, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Hey there, I’m Kaitlyn, founder and owner of Mothering with Grace. I’m a certified birth doula, prenatal and postnatal yoga teacher, postpartum and matrescence educator and coach, and mama of two, with a Master’s in Physical Activity and Health. My mission is to help women have positive, empowered experiences in pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and beyond, and I do this through yoga, education, and community.
I’ve lived and mothered in three different countries. I was born in Canada, grew up in Germany, and now I’m raising my own family in Texas. At the end of 2023, my husband and I moved from Germany to Texas with our two children. At the time, my oldest was two years old and my youngest was just six weeks, so I was very much in the thick of postpartum. Living abroad for nearly half my life has given me a global perspective on motherhood. I’ve seen firsthand how culture, community, and systems shape a mother’s experience — and how differently the postpartum period is supported around the world.
When I had my first baby in Germany, I felt deeply cared for. Every new mom automatically receives home visits from a midwife for the first three months, daily in the early days, then weekly offering breastfeeding support, emotional care, and both physical and practical guidance for mother and baby. It’s not just medical follow-up; it’s a holistic approach to supporting women based on the midwifery model of care. I didn’t realize how powerful that was until my second birth, when we moved to the U.S. shortly after delivery. Suddenly, that safety net disappeared. There were no home visits, no regular check-ins, no built-in community. I felt the stark contrast and it opened my eyes to how desperately postpartum care needs to change.
That experience became the foundation of my work today. Mothering with Grace was born out of my desire to help women prepare for and navigate the massive developmental transformation that is matrescence – the journey to and through motherhood. Through my yoga classes, workshops, events, and podcast, I aim to bring education, embodiment, and grace back into every stage of a woman’s motherhood journey.
At the heart of it all, I believe postpartum isn’t something to simply “get through” – it’s a season to honor, prepare for, and grow from. Postpartum deserves just as much preparation, care, and reverence as childbirth itself. Yet so many women, especially first-time moms, don’t realize that until they’re in the thick of it.
I believe birth is the beginning, postpartum lasts a lifetime and grace is how we meet it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not a straight or smooth road but a deeply meaningful one. My entire career before Mothering with Grace was in the non-profit world, where I built education and awareness programs on a global scale. I’ve always had a servant’s heart, and for years my work was about helping others on a systemic level. Transitioning from that world into entrepreneurship has been both exciting and humbling.
In non-profit work, I was used to writing grant proposals and reports for donors; now, I’m learning the language of marketing, storytelling, and social media, all while building a personal brand. The shift from writing for organizations to showing up authentically on Instagram, recording podcasts, and creating video content has been a steep learning curve. But it’s also been one of the most rewarding seasons of growth, because I’ve learned how to merge my expertise with creativity and connection.
On a more personal level, the last five years, since starting my own matrescence journey, have been incredibly reflective. Motherhood changes you at your core. It’s pushed me to re-evaluate what success means and how I want to spend my time. I’ve always loved serving others, but serving women, especially mothers, feels different. It’s deeply personal, because I’ve lived those challenges myself.
When we moved to the U.S., I found it really difficult to find meaningful work that allowed me to be present with my children while also using my skills and education. Like so many moms, I was standing at a crossroads: do I return to a traditional full-time job for stability, or take a leap of faith and create something of my own?
Ultimately, I chose to bet on myself and on the vision that had been growing inside me for years. I knew there had to be a way to combine my background in health, education, and movement with my passion for supporting women through pregnancy, postpartum and motherhood. And Mothering with Grace was born from that conviction.
Entrepreneurship has stretched me in ways I never expected, learning to set boundaries, navigate self-doubt, and balance motherhood with business. But it’s also taught me that you don’t have to have it all figured out to start. You just have to take the first step.
If you’re sitting on a dream or trying to figure out your purpose, my advice is this: trust yourself. Go after it, even if it feels uncertain. You can take bold steps forward while still honoring your season, your limits, and your family. I’m a big believer in seizing the day but doing it with grace.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work sits at the intersection of yoga, postpartum and matrescence education, and community all centered on helping women move through pregnancy, birth, postpartum and motherhood with grace.
I’m a certified birth doula and yoga teacher, specializing in prenatal yoga, postnatal yoga (with or without baby), and yoga-based birth preparation classes. My yoga classes provide a supportive space where moms can move, bond, and breathe in community alongside other women and their babies. My yoga-based birth prep classes guide women through everything from labor positions and coping strategies to breathwork and partner support to make informed, confident choices that align with their vision and values, helping women feel confident and empowered going into birth.
I also love hosting special events like baby shower yoga sessions, moms’ night out experiences, small business team-building classes, and community gatherings — creating spaces where movement becomes a joyful way to celebrate motherhood and connection.
Beyond yoga and birth prep, I teach postpartum and matrescence education classes — think childbirth education, but for postpartum. We go far beyond mental health (though that’s a vital piece) and explore topics like physical rest and recovery, building your village, matrescence and identity, and rediscovering purpose in motherhood.
I’m known for asking the hard questions — for challenging what we consider “normal” in maternal care and inviting women to reflect on why we do things the way we do. Just because something is common doesn’t mean it’s good care. I’m bold about calling out the global lack of postpartum support and passionate about shifting that narrative for women everywhere.
I’m also a mom raising two bilingual, third-culture kids — two adventurous boys who travel the world with me. Whether we’re flying, road-tripping, or camping abroad, we do it together. I hope that the work I’m building today will serve them and their families one day, too — creating a legacy of connection, compassion, and care for mothers everywhere.
At the heart of it all, my mission is to help women feel grounded, resilient, authentic, connected, and empowered in every season of motherhood – the values that guide everything I do with Mothering with Grace.
How do you define success?
For me, success isn’t about numbers, it’s about impact and alignment. It’s knowing that a mom leaves my class feeling more at home in her body, more confident in her instincts, or more connected to someone who understands her.
Success looks like slow, steady growth that supports my family and allows me to live what I teach: presence, flexibility, and grace. It’s building a brand that serves both my mission and my life, and watching women carry that ripple of empowerment into their own homes, families, and communities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.motheringwithgrace.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mothering.with.grace/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573805487397
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mothering_with_grace
Image Credits
The two photos that are inside in child’s pose are credited to @Sophia Birth Photography. All other photos outside can be credited to @Friedemann Schaefer Photography
