Meet the Staff

Office | Midwife | Birth Asst | Med Asst | Specialty

OUR SPECIALTY STAFF

Stella Goulart, Sonographer
I have been married about 4 decades and have 5 children and 11 grand children; 3 of which have been born here at Best Start Birth Center! I have witnessed the marvelous and wondrous works that the birth center provides with their professional and loving care of all their patients. My family and my work are two of the most important things in my life and keep me fulfilled and happy and along with my God and my friends to keep me focused; I am a happy and satisfied lady!

Antonia Damian, Facility Maintenance Coordinator
Hi, my name is Antonia and I am the Facility Maintenance Coordinator. I have been living in San Diego for 25 years. I am a mother of four. In addition to keeping our facility clean and welcoming for all expectant mothers, I also do outreach in the community, introducing the birth center to people who do not know of its existence. I love my job and my co-workers and am grateful for the opportunity to work at Best Start Birth Center.

Donna Grandi, Childbirth and Breastfeeding Educator, LCCE, CD(DONA), Breastfeeding Support Specialist
As a Childbirth Educator, I help women and their partners prepare for birth with knowledge of the birth process, as well as physical and emotional preparation. I seek to help women gain confidence in their body's ability to give birth, which is an amazing, powerful and joyful experience. I also teach and support mothers in breastfeeding.

I am a certified birth Doula providing support for moms and partners during pregnancy, labor and birth and early postpartum through emotional, physical and educational support. As a Doula I help facilitate a positive, healthy birth and early parenting experience. 

I have two sons, born naturally with the support of my husband, and successfully breastfed. I have helped many parents in this journey of approaching parenthood in Southern California and in Taiwan where I lived for many years.

Trisha Olow CD, CCE
I graduated from San Diego State University in 1989 with a degree in Biology. Loving animals, I had a zoo career for many years. My husband and I gave birth to our first child, Zoe in a birth center in Orlando, Florida in 2001. I became a full-time mama.

Being fascinated by pregnancy and the birthing experience, I became a DONA Certified Doula in 2002, then a Certified Childbirth Educator in 2003. When I became pregnant with our son, Evan in 2004, I knew Best Start Birth Center was the best choice for me. 

I support the San Diego birthing community by teaching childbirth preparation classes for Best Start Birth Center and also for Mary Birch Hospital for Women and Newborns. I work as a birth and postpartum doula and have helped over 100 families. I also am a specialist in placenta encapsulation, do belly casting and blessingway ceremonies. 

Having a safe, peaceful and empowering birth experience can have lasting positive effects on a family. My hope is that through my teaching and doula work, I can help women find their strength and improve the birth experience one birth at a time.

Office | Midwife | Birth Asst | Med Asst | Specialty

 top ^