GOLD Learning Speakers

Renata Hillman, CPM

Sherri Daigle, LM, CPM, MSW

• Speaker Type: 2020
• Country: U.S.A

Biography:

Renata lives in Mississippi. She is Mother to 3 children; the last, her daughter, was born at home. She has 5 precious Grandchildren; she was honored to catch 4 at home. She has known from the beginning that 51% of her “Calling” was to attend Mothers as a Midwife. And 49%, was to share all that God and the families she served imparted into her life. She entered midwifery the traditional way in the 80’s; self taught and serving. With a great desire to become the best Midwife she could be for the Families she was called to serve. That has included serving as a childbirth educator and assistant since 1981. She received her CPM in 2008. She believes it truly takes the (heart, hands, and head) to be a true Midwife. The head; knowledge of a midwife can be acquired through many routesn(self-study, mentoring by an experienced midwife, or through a formal school). The hands: (acquired in an apprenticeship or through a formal schooling environment). But only the woman can decide if her heart is truly “the Heart of a Midwife”. She has been a homebirth Midwife for over 30 years now.

She is a midwife, a preceptor, and a mentor for the next generation of mothers and midwives. She applies the use of traditional and naturalistic methods within her practice. She has taught workshops and classes across the country for over 25 years, including breech delivery and turning, skills for midwives in traditional methods of care, and how to start your own practice of midwifery.

All of this to guarantee that her granddaughters and great granddaughters will have a l oving, skilled, and knowledgeable Midwife available; if they choose to seek one out for their births.

Sherri Daigle has been a midwife for 35 years. Helping legalize midwifery in her home state of Louisiana, she was active in helping to pass legislation, and create midwifery practice and birth center regulation. She has taught midwifery at college level, as well as working as preceptor. She has worked tirelessly in home birth and birth center settings. She helped to create Louisiana’s first accredited birth center. Sherri has six wonderful children, and 4 grandchildren she enjoys spending time with. Currently she is working in a quiet home birth practice. She has watched midwifery grow from a homespun art to a respected profession, and is still amazed at the creative power of women through the lifespan.