Meet the Founders
Khadijah Cissé
Co-Founder & Owner | Midwifery Operations
With more than two decades of birth work across the United States and West Africa, Khadijah brings relationship-centered midwifery and a deep respect for informed choice to Birth Haven in Salem, New Hampshire.
Experience. Connection. A Deep Respect for Birth.
With more than two decades of experience in birth work and a background spanning the United States and West Africa, Khadijah Cissé brings a wealth of perspective to Birth Haven.
Her commitment to relationship-centered midwifery, informed choice, and education is rooted in a belief that women deserve to feel heard, respected, and meaningfully involved in their care.
As a co-founder of Birth Haven, Khadijah helps shape the midwifery operations and the shared vision of a more personal, connected approach to maternity care.
Her Experience
A Life's Work Rooted in Birth
For more than 20 years, Khadijah has dedicated her professional life to birth work, gaining experience across diverse communities and care settings.
Her background includes involvement in more than 1,100 births in the United States and West Africa, contributing to a broad perspective on the experiences, needs, and choices of women and families.
Through her work in out-of-hospital midwifery, she has developed a deep appreciation for the relationships that surround pregnancy and birth and the importance of supporting women as active participants in decisions about their care.
She brings that experience and perspective to the founding team at Birth Haven, helping shape an approach grounded in individualized attention, education, and respect.
20+ Years
Experience in birth work
1,100+ Births
Professional involvement across the United States and West Africa
Her Approach
The Relationship Matters
For Khadijah, the human connection within maternity care is central to the experience.
Every woman arrives with her own history, questions, values, hopes, and concerns. Meaningful care begins by recognizing those differences and creating space for conversation.
Her background in midwifery informs an approach that values physiological birth, individualized attention, education, and the role of informed choice.
She believes that the way women are listened to and supported matters, alongside the clinical considerations involved in their care.
At Birth Haven, that philosophy contributes to the founders' shared commitment to helping women feel respected, informed, and empowered to participate in decisions about their maternity care.
A Birth Haven Guiding Principle
Her voice. Her body. Her questions. Her values. Her choices.
A guiding principle of Birth Haven's shared approach to care, reflecting the values Khadijah brings to the founding team.
Her Role at Birth Haven
Helping Shape the Birth Haven Experience
As Co-Founder and Owner responsible for Midwifery Operations, Khadijah brings substantial experience in out-of-hospital midwifery, clinical systems, practice development, and relationship-centered care.
She contributes her knowledge and perspective to the operational foundations of Birth Haven, working alongside her fellow founders to support their shared vision.
Her work reflects an understanding that a meaningful care experience depends on more than the setting itself. It also depends on thoughtful systems, effective communication, and a team committed to the women and families they serve.
Together with Whitney Elsesser and Danette Siegel, Khadijah is helping build Birth Haven around the belief that women deserve informed choices, respectful relationships, and care that recognizes them as individuals.
Midwifery Experience
A professional background shaped by extensive experience with birth and out-of-hospital care.
Midwifery Operations
Contributing practical knowledge of care operations, clinical systems, and the development of a thoughtful maternity-care environment.
Education & Collaboration
A commitment to strengthening the midwifery community through learning, professional development, and shared knowledge.
Looking to the Future
A Commitment to the Future of Midwifery
Khadijah's passion for midwifery extends beyond the birth experiences of today.
She is also deeply interested in the education, development, and continued growth of the midwifery profession.
She believes in creating opportunities for learning and supporting the sharing of experience and practical knowledge within the birth community.
This commitment aligns with Birth Haven's broader vision of becoming not only a place associated with maternity care, but also a community where education, connection, and professional growth can flourish.
As Birth Haven develops its educational initiatives, Khadijah's perspective will be an important part of that shared vision.
The Founding Vision
Three Women. One Shared Purpose.
Birth Haven began with a shared determination to preserve a meaningful space for community-based birth in Salem, New Hampshire, and build something that could serve women and families for years to come.
Khadijah joined Whitney Elsesser and Danette Siegel as an equal co-founder, bringing her background in midwifery and her belief in relationship-centered care to that vision.
Together, the three women saw an opportunity to create more than a physical birth center.
Their vision includes education, family support, meaningful connections, and an enduring commitment to respecting women's voices and choices.
For Khadijah, Birth Haven is an opportunity to contribute her knowledge and experience to a shared mission grounded in informed choice, individualized care, and community.
Beyond Birth Haven
Experience Across Different Birth Settings
Khadijah's background includes out-of-hospital midwifery and independent practice experience.
That experience is part of the perspective she brings to Birth Haven, alongside her interest in maternity-care education and professional collaboration.
Get to Know Birth Haven
Begin With a Conversation
Choosing maternity care is personal, and you deserve the opportunity to explore your options, ask questions, and get to know the people behind your care. If you'd like to learn more about Birth Haven, we welcome you to reach out or arrange a visit.
Birth Haven tours are hosted by Whitney Elsesser or Khadijah Cissé, depending on availability.
Continue Exploring Birth Haven
Come Get to Know Birth Haven
The best way to get to know our space and approach is to visit, ask questions, and have a conversation about what you are looking for in your care.