Labor 101: Birth Prep That Makes Sense

Save the Date: February 21–22, 2026 · Staten Island, NY

(One or two-day format TBD--you’ll help decide!)

The world loves to make parenthood sound like a wild jungle, like after labor & birth, everything you know is about to be turned upside down & you’ll never feel normal again.

If a childbirth education class is only talking about the hardest parts of labor & parenthood but never mentions the growth, the joy, or the expansion, it might be your sign to head this way instead, where we celebrate both. ALL DAY!!

Labor 101 was created to bring clarity back to childbirth education, grounded in evidence, decades of experience & common sense. We are taking it back to the old-school, where parents tapped into their community to obtain the support they needed. This gathering prepares all expectant families for their transition into parenthood, my first-timers, VBAC parents, home-birthers, birth-center families, hospital moms & dads, families of color & communities that have been historically underrepresented, surgical birthers, low-risk, high-risk, everyone. Every family deserves birth prep that isn’t harder than labor itself. Natural birth is not pushed, your preferences always come first.

All beautiful variations of birth are welcome.

During our time together you will be able to fill in the blanks that most classes leave out. There’s great power in understanding the inner workings of our bodies. Our knowledge becomes wisdom we can pass on to others if they need it.

To remain a Lamaze International childbirth educator (Lamaze does not play) & maintain my continuing education credits, I have taken many (many) childbirth education classes over the years. I will share my findings with you, as long as you promise not to tell!

We’ll spend time talking & doing, birth isn’t learned from a screen, it’s learned from your body.

What We’ll Cover

Part One-Knowing

• The science of birth, what’s happening on an internal & external level, how your body responds & why it’s important. All broken down in a way that makes sense.

• Honoring both parents’ journey, birth transforms more than one person.

• Setting a healthy foundation for labor & beyond

• Establishing your birth preferences

• Lamaze’s 6 Healthy Birth Practices

• Real ways partners can support

• What birth looks like at home, the hospital & birth center

• Pregnancy variations (low-risk & high-risk pregnancies)

• Medical interventions, hospital policies & chain of command

• Surgical births, expectations & recovery

• NYC maternal health disparities, supporting marginalized communities & advocating for yourself within a complex healthcare system

• What you really need for the first month post-birth

• Transition into parenthood, welcome to the club!

• What to do when your partner gets on your last nerve (goes both ways :)

• Postpartum healing, setting standards & healthy boundaries for recovery

• Newborn feeding & care

• Life after birth

  
  

Part Two-Doing

After Part One, we will move into bodywork, breathwork & body awareness. This is where things really begin to click!

• Pelvic floor awareness & conditioning

• Comfort measures

• Early labor & laboring at home

• Following your body’s rhythm

• Supporting baby’s journey

• Breathing patterns for labor flow

• Positions for progress & comfort

• Partner touch & support

• P.U.S.H practice

• Listening to your intuition (your body already knows, we’ll learn to tap into it)

Why this class is fun for everyone

It’s taught by someone (me!) who’s been on every side of birth, as a former high risk mother x 2, nurse, doula & reproductive health educator. With over 25 years in healthcare, almost 30 years of motherhood & years spent walking with families through pregnancy, birth, feeding & postpartum, I bring you digestible evidence-based info with a nice side of reality.

Over the years, I’ve researched, rallied, protested, nurtured, educated, held & loved on my NYC communities. This gathering is a homecoming. For many of my clients, I’ve been working in their name long before the day they were born. For my ‘90s babies, I was deep in these healthcare trenches with you in mind while you were sneaking to watch Adult Swim after your parents went to bed.

This class is Lamaze® approved & taught in-person on Staten Island. You & your partner will leave ready to meet birth head-on, with fewer nerves, better tools & way less Googling at 2 a.m. (I’ve been down that rabbit hole, so you don’t have to).

Just to be fair, the person that tries to fall asleep during our time together will become the designated pregnant person used for the practice portion of the day. Partners, I’ll be watching you :)

• Location: North Shore, Staten Island

• Time commitment: 6-7 hours

• Cost: $300, partners are included in this rate

• Bring: Water bottle, a notebook, yoga mat & wear comfy clothes

join the list & Save The Date

The first class starts February 21-22, 2026.
Our time together is 6-7 hours total (you deserve it, tbh) & I’d love your input-would you rather spend a full day together, or split it into two shorter days? Please let me know!

Sign up below to let me know your preference & you will be on the list for our first gathering.

Anjanette R. Silas, RN, BA, BSN, CD, CLC, LCCE
Lamaze® Certified Childbirth Educator · Founder, Birth & Beyond NYC

Coming soon: Labor 101 centers expectant families, but it’s also for the community that holds them. Birthworkers & support people who walk beside families are welcome to join in the future. Please stay tuned for future updates.

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