Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010 - (Page 50)

BY CARLA CARWILE Dad Three things doulas want expectant fathers to know Dear A lthough doulas have been helping women through the birthing process for centuries (the word itself means “female handmaiden” in Greek), today’s dads are becoming some of their greatest fans. With their gentle guidance and empowering knowledge, doulas help moms- and dads-to-be work as partners in a time that’s as exhilarating as it is exhausting. Amalia Cordova, a mother of three grown children, is one of the experienced doulas now assisting families at St. Anthony Central Hospital. Before her certiﬁed nursing assistant training eight years ago, she volunteered at hospitals throughout the metro Denver area for 20 years, soothing and informing anxious parents in English as well as her native language, Spanish. A CALLING AND A CAREER It’s a calling as well as a career, Cordova says. The birth of her ﬁrst child was a complicated delivery. “I was so scared, and I suffered because I didn’t know the language. I never blamed the nurses—they were trying to explain.” So she made a promise—to God and to herself—that she’d do everything she could to never let another woman experience what she had or leave another father feeling as helpless as her husband did during those hours. 50 Vim & Vigor · SUM M ER 2 010

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010
Contents
CEO Letter
For Your Health
Network of Care
Heart Testing 101
Ready ... Set ... Get Motivated!
Having Reservations?
Stressing Stress
Second Act
Adults at Play
In Good Hands
Think Again
No Kidding
Giving Is Great Medicine
Sunshine Savvy
Dear Dad
Six Degrees of Specialization
Well, Well, Well
Community Connections
Ask the Experts

Vim & Vigor - Summer 2010