Our Team

 Allegra Hill, LM, IBCLC 

Allegra Hill is a Licensed Midwife, Certified Professional Midwife and Lactation Consultant.  She began working to support people in birth as a doula in 2010 attending mainly hospital births and helping families navigate that system.  During that time she volunteered at a local birth center and officially enrolled in midwifery school.  In 2014, she graduated from the National Midwifery Institute and became a Certified Professional Midwife and a Licensed Midwife in 2015. In 2015 she became a International Board Certified Lactation Consultant.  

Allegra is the co-founder and co-owner of Kindred Space LA and the Birthing People Foundation along with Kimberly Durdin.  She has trained and mentored birth doulas since 2013 and has participated in the training of birthworkers within the Birthing People Foundation.  She uses her extensive knowledge and training in nonviolent communication, conflict resolution, early child development and cultural competency in all areas of her work.  It is Allegra’s honor to support families as they make, grow, birth and nourish their children with confidence and support.  She has been blessed with the experience of attending hundreds of beautiful births in homes, hospitals and birth centers and supporting many, many more with placenta medicine and newborn nurturing.  Midwifery is Allegra life’s work and she is deeply honored to get to do this work this lifetime.

Allegra herself was born in a free standing birthing center with certified nurse midwives. Midwifery care has impacted every aspect of her life including the care her family received when she was born. Allegra has been with her husband Gerry for 20 years.  Allegra’s most important role is that of mother to her two home birthed children, Dorothy and Malcolm. 

Kimberly Durdin, LM, CPM

Kimberly  Durdin is a Licensed Midwife, Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant, Childbirth Educator and Doula Trainer. As a mother of six and grandmother of five, Kimberly credits her children as her greatest teachers.

Over the last 29 years, Kimberly has interwoven her life with the lives of thousands of families throughout New York City, Washington DC Metro Area & Los Angeles. Be it through her work of providing lactation care, postpartum support, groups, counseling, childbirth education, labor support or through her work mentoring current and future birthworkers, her dedication has allowed her to fully enjoy the fruits of her labor in the faces of the communities served.  She and business partner Allegra Hill are co-owners and co-founders of Kindred Space LA, South LA’s only Black-owned Birth Center and hub for midwifery care, doula support and training, lactation consulting, education, parenting support group, enrichment and movement.

Her non-profit the Birthing People Foundation empowers People of Color by providing free and low cost education, training and certification pertaining to pregnancy, birth and postpartum; such as doulas, childbirth educators, lactation consultants, birth assistants and midwives. It is designed to address the maternal and infant health disparities in communities of color and other marginalized groups and to help change birth outcomes for marginalized people, while bringing Black and Brown women/people back to their roots as the original wellness providers.

Kimberly lives in South Los Angeles with her partner Michael and her two youngest children. Her older children live close by with their spouses and children, and one of her children currently resides in the DC Metro Area.

Hiroko Aoyagi LM, CPM

I was born and raised in Japan. Over the course of my childhood, I came to the States first when I was 7 years old. To be exposed in different culture in young age shaped me to who I am now. I came back again in high school and college as a foreign exchange student. Every time I came to the US, the experiences impacted my worldview. I naturally realized that people have various upbringings, cultural backgrounds and boundaries. What’s “normal” for me can be different for others. I developed empathy. 

After I graduated college I worked in a corporate world. I got married and had my daughter in the hospital in Japan. I was 28 years old. Although my daughter was born healthy, it was not a pleasant experience. In 2005, I moved to Los Angeles with my husband and my daughter. I knew I wanted to have different birth experiences. My journey to become a midwife began with my two home births. When I discovered home birth, I jumped right in. I knew that was what I wanted. With the help and support from my midwife, I was able to make my own decisions to birth in the way I felt safe and comfortable. I felt so cared for and empowered in every phase of my pregnancy, birth and postpartum. I still remember very clearly the feeling of joy, relief and the mixture of feelings that I can’t even put into words. that I never had with my first birth. I gradually grew to feel how wonderful it will be to support others who seeks similar experiences.

In 2017, I joined the Nizhoni Institute of Midwifery. In addition to working as a birth doula and placenta encapsulation specialist, I attended over 70 births as a Student Midwife. I became a license midwife in April 2021.

Haikanarumi Lara, MSM,CPM, LM

Haikanarumi “Yais” (She/Her), LM, MS is a Licensed Midwife who holds a Master of Science in Midwifery from Bastyr University. Her connection to birth began long before her formal training. Growing up in Venezuela, she assisted her mother in caring for laboring women, supporting breastfeeding, and preparing nourishing meals for postpartum families. Being raised around birth and women’s care shaped her deep respect for the power and sacredness of the birthing process.

Yais has attended births in home, birth center, and hospital settings, including out-of-hospital VBACs. Her background also includes postpartum care, newborn support, fertility awareness, queer-inclusive care, and holistic modalities such as herbal support and traditional indigenous practices. She believes continuing education is essential so families receive thoughtful and evidence-based care.

Her approach to midwifery is calm, attentive, and deeply respectful of the natural rhythm of birth. She believes informed consent is sacred and strives to create a space where families feel safe, heard, and supported in their decisions.

As a Venezuelan and bilingual midwife, Yais feels especially connected to immigrant and bicultural families and those navigating birth while also navigating identity, culture, or transition. Families often describe her presence as grounding and steady, and she hopes the people she serves feel capable, supported, and deeply cared for.

Skye Jasper, MSM, CPM, LM

Skye-Lanise Jasper, MSM, CPM, LM is a Licensed Midwife in the state of California who earned her Master of Science in Midwifery from Bastyr University and passed the national NARM examination for midwives. Born and raised in South Central Los Angeles, Skye-Lanise has always felt called to serve her community and help improve birth outcomes for families.

Originally considering a career as an OB-GYN, she discovered that the midwifery model of care better aligned with her values of informed choice, relationship-centered care, and honoring the natural physiology of birth. She believes education empowers families to make the best decisions for their care and prioritizes building strong, trusting relationships with the people she serves.

Skye-Lanise feels especially connected to supporting people of color and families across the diaspora who want culturally respectful and compassionate care. Her faith and spiritual perspective guide the way she approaches birth, which she sees as sacred and deeply meaningful work.

She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their dog and cat duo, Apollo and Cairo. Known for her warmth and sense of humor, Skye-Lanise enjoys bringing laughter and connection into her prenatal visits while creating a space where families feel loved, valued, and supported.

Yolanda (Yogi) Heath CNM

Yolanda “Yogi” Heath, CNM brings more than 25 years of experience in maternal health and has supported over 500 births throughout her career. She is continually inspired by the beauty and uniqueness of every mother and remains passionate about advocating for and strengthening birth communities.

Yogi feels especially called to serve vulnerable families and is deeply committed to addressing prejudice, injustice, and inequality in childbirth. She often describes midwifery as an art, similar to dance. Each birth has its own rhythm, and her role is to help families find harmony within their unique experience.

Respect, trust, and dignity guide the way Yogi shows up for the families she serves. She strives to create an environment where people feel calm, empowered, and supported throughout pregnancy and birth. Her spiritual outlook on birth and deep love for humanity shape the compassion she brings to her work.

Yogi considers herself a strong advocate for the families she serves and approaches every birth with the same care and protection she would offer her own daughter.

Nicole LaCour-Wordlaw

Nicole LaCour-Wordlaw serves as Administrative Director and Senior Student Midwife. Her journey into birth work began with the home births of her own two children, experiences that deeply shaped her understanding of physiologic birth and family-centered care.

Nicole feels most connected to families who want to be active participants in their care. She enjoys supporting parents as they learn to trust their bodies, explore their options, and develop confidence in their own decision-making. She is especially passionate about creating space for both intuition and evidence-based information so families can move through pregnancy and birth with clarity and dignity.

Her background bridges movement, education, and clinical birth training. Nicole holds a BFA in Dance from UCLA and certifications in group fitness as well as pre- and postnatal movement education. She has completed birth doula training through Sanctuary Birth + Family Wellness Center and childbirth educator training through BADT. She is currently studying midwifery through the National Midwifery Institute and maintains NRP and CPR certification.

Nicole approaches care with deep listening, curiosity, and respect. She believes strong midwifery care depends on collaboration, thoughtful assessment, and clear communication. Clients often appreciate her calm presence and the balance she brings between emotional support and clinical awareness.

Above all, Nicole views birth as a transformative life experience and hopes the families she serves feel informed, supported, and confident in their own strength throughout the journey.