About Us
About Us
Philosophy of Care
A woman’s health and medical care is a partnership between her and her health care provider. It is our responsibility to provide excellence in her care and education and sensitivity to her concerns and needs. Her health is also her own responsibility, we expect her to communicate with us and participate in decision-making. We acknowledge the value of both traditional and alternative forms of health promotion and treatment. We will listen to our clients, and treat them and their families with respect, dignity, and assurance of confidentiality. Pregnancy and birth are physiological processes that should be subject to as little intervention as possible. The process of birth belongs to the domain of normal human activity and requires medical assistance only when disturbances to normal patterns are present. We offer women choices in place of birth, choosing the appropriate level of expertise and technology. Certified nurse midwives (CNM), experts in normal childbearing, work independently and in collaboration with our consulting obstetricians. Together, we are dedicated to taking time to educate, advise, and support the childbearing family.
%
Client Satisfaction Rate
%
C-Section Rate
%
Emergency Transfers
%
Hospital Transfer Rate
98%
Client Satisfaction Rate
3.6%
C-Section Rate
1%
Emergency Transfers
12.5%
Hospital Transfers in Labor
Lesley Rathbun
FNP, CNM Owner/Director
Lesley Rathbun is dual certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and Certified Nurse Midwife. She is the owner and director of Charleston Birth Place. Ms. Rathbun graduated in 2004 from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and has attended over 1,000 births in her career as a midwife. Prior to becoming a midwife she worked as a RN in all areas of women’s health including labor & delivery, neonatal intensive care, childbirth education, surgical assistant, outpatient OB/GYN clinic, and an Amish birth center. Ms. Rathbun is a member of American College of Nurse Midwives, The Midwife Alliance of North America, and is a 2 term past president of the American Association of Birth Centers. She is active in legislative efforts to increase access to midwife led birth centers for all families.
Jennifer Hirchert
CNM, MSN, Staff Certified Nurse Midwife
Jennifer started her career as a labor and delivery nurse at MUSC in 2008, and joined the CBP family as a birth assistant the following year. Since then, she has worn many CBP hats as a student nurse midwife, patient, part-time office midwife, and full-time staff midwife. She loves supporting and educating CBP’s moms and families as they journey through pregnancy, birth, and parenting! Jennifer lives in Park Circle with her husband Kyle, daughter Annabelle, and son Theodore.
Emily Waller
DNP, CNM, WHNP-BC, Staff Certified Nurse Midwife
Emily started her career working as a nurse in the Emergency Room when she found her love for women’s health and patient advocacy and autonomy. She then began working as a Labor and Delivery nurse and became hooked on caring for families through the entire labor and birth process. Emily decided she wanted to be able to build deeper relationships with these families and care for them from early pregnancy, through the postpartum period, and even with general well women care. She stared midwifery school at Georgetown University while continuing to work in high risk L&D. Emily graduated with her DNP in 2022 from Georgetown with a focus on Nurse Midwifery and Women’s Health. She successfully defended her doctoral project in March, 2022, focusing on educating birth staff on postpartum hemorrhage early identification and management.
In January, 2022 Emily began her final clinical rotation at the Charleston Birth Place as a Student Nurse Midwife. She found a passion for out of hospital, low-risk labor and birth and became a total birth junkie! She also found a love for educating families and advocating for their birth desires. Emily then transitioned into a full-time staff midwife position at CBP during the summer of 2022 and has loved it ever since! In her free time, you can find Emily relaxing with her husband, Alex, and dog, Goose!
Chelsey Mackenzie
MS, CNM, APRN
Chelsey Mackenzie first fell in love with midwifery from her undergrad obstetrics nursing class, in which the professor insisted everyone put on their “rose-colored glasses” and view the topic from a lens of health. Her devotion was solidified through the excellent midwifery care she received throughout her own pregnancy and birth with her son. Chelsey soon transferred to work as a Labor & Birth RN to gain hands-on experience in the birth room. During this time, she also trained as a DONA birth doula, and co-founded a doula team that supported growing families in a variety of birth settings. She graduated from Bethel University’s nurse-midwifery program in 2023. Chelsey feels passionately about holding space for the wonder of physiological pregnancy and birth to unfold on its own while thoughtfully and skillfully intervening when needed. Chelsey, her husband Kyle, and their son Reed are new transplants from St. Louis, and they are excited to make the Charleston area their home.
Misti Borgestad
MSN, FNP, CNM Staff Certified Nurse Midwife
Misti Borgestad enjoys living a life of adventure and caring for others on the journey. She graduated with a BA in Nursing at St. Olaf College in 1993 and worked as an RN in Postpartum and Nursery care. While working as an RN, she also became a mother of 3 sons. During her 3rd pregnancy she was fortunate to have care from a midwife, and from then on, she realized she wanted to provide other women with the same compassionate and empowering care. She became a Family Nurse Practitioner at Florida State University in 2010 and was a provider in Family Medicine for 10 years. Then, after a medical mission’s trip to the Philippines where she had the opportunity to serve pregnant women and newborns, she went back to school to get a Post Graduate Certification in Midwifery from Frontier Nursing University. Since 2020, she has been dual certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner and a Certified Nurse Midwife. Before arriving in Charleston, she worked as a midwife at the California Birth Center for almost 2 years, and the Minnesota Birth Center for 1 year. She is thrilled to be joining the team here at the Charleston Birth Place. Misti has an amazing and supportive husband, 3 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, and two baby granddaughters who have all stolen her heart.
She feels so honored and thankful to serve women and families on this sacred journey and believes women are powerful and amazing! She desires to protect and support physiologic birth and empower women through all stages of their lives. She is known to be gentle, nurturing, and compassionate. She enjoys reading, going on coffee dates, running, e-biking, walking the beach, and spending time with her friends and family.
Penelope Bowman
CNM, MSN Staff Midwife
Penelope “Penny” Bowman for the past 25 years in the Lowcountry has assisted thousands of families with their pregnancy and health care needs. Her journey to midwifery began as a child hearing stories from a grand aunt, “Mama Lee” of helping women in the community during their pregnancy and birth. My personal experience during pregnancy and birth with a CNM of my daughter was such a wonderful experience I knew becoming a nurse-midwife was what I wanted to do for a life career. The care, presence, and encouragement during my pregnancy and birth gave me such a sense of empowerment.
During my undergraduate years at Tuskegee University, I worked as an OB Tech allowing me the opportunity to work with mothers in labor, postpartum, and nursery. As an RN I worked labor and delivery at MUSC gaining the critical experience needed to work with low-risk and high-risk mothers. I later attended Charles Drew University of Medicine and Science where I received my Certification in Midwifery Education.
Ivy Parrish
RN, BSN
As a teenager, Ivy Parrish was able to witness a friend give birth. From this first witness of the miracle of birth, Ivy’s love for pregnancy, childbirth and growing families developed. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Charleston Southern University and began working at Trident Medical Center in postpartum and medical surgery. As a mother of three children, Ivy gained first-hand experience in pregnancy and birth. She has also served as a surrogate mother, giving the gift of life to a baby boy last fall.
It was after the birth of her first child that she recognized the beauty of breastfeeding. She acknowledges the connection that is made between the baby and mother is just as important as the nutritional value. Due to her commitment to the nutrition of breast milk, Ivy has continued to pump breast milk for the preemie milk bank. She has completed the WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor course so that she can be a support for breastfeeding mothers. Ivy has also studied placentas and encapsulates them for many moms in South Carolina.
With the birth of her third child, Ivy chose the Charleston Birth Place and fell in love with the support and comfort they offered her in a natural childbirth. Now she is able to offer that same comfort and support as a nurse at the center. She is passionate about working with midwives and families who see birth as a sacred experience, to be celebrated and honored.
Norva S. Andrews Decoteau
RN, BSc, LNM, CLNC
I have worked at Charleston Birth Place for more than seven years as a birth assistant and post-partum home visit nurse. I was born in Trinidad and Tobago, where I gained my formal education. I worked in general nursing and then become a licensed nurse midwife. In 2003, my family and I migrated to the USA. My well-rounded background, has given me the opportunity to work in various disciplines as a travel nurse. I am a wife, mother of three, and proud grandmother of one.
My midwifery training in the West Indies aligns with CBP’s vision of natural childbirth. I am passionate about caring for new mothers and being a resource to the family as they meet their newest member. CBP shares my vision of empowering women and families, thus I anticipate an enduring relationship as we continue to empower our clients.
Brianna Brantley
Medical Assistant
Susan Rodriguez
Front Office
843-818-1123
1300 Hospital Drive, Suite 270 Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
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