Anyone near Santa Fe?

[MaWhit]

We currently live in southern Colorado but are planning to move to the Santa Fe area in about a year. Can anyone give me an idea of AP-friendliness, homeschooling, pagan resources, LLL, or anything else? Thanks!

[Moonqueen]

Hi there! I live in Santa Fe and I think it's very progressive. I used to go to LLL meetings and there are some great people there. I've been slacking lately but intend to start going again now that I'm nursing my toddler and my newborn. Mothering Magazine is based here and that's another great parenting resource. They've got a huge book lending library. There are also a children's museum, 3 health food stores and many parks.

[MaWhit]

Great! That is so awesome that mothering is based there. I didn't know that.

I am SO looking forward to getting out of where I am and into a place where I can grow.

Thanks so much for your response and the info.

[pioneermama]

MoonQueen,

What do you think about the schools for children in Santa Fe? Would you say it is family friendly? I'd love to hear your pov. We're contemplating a move and anything you care to share would be great!

Thanks,

Pioneermama

[amber87507]

Hi there,
My name is Amber and I'm expecting my first baby in March. I have lived in Santa Fe for almost 5 years. I live w/my dad who teaches at Capital High School in Santa Fe and I have subbed at the Santa Fe school district in the past as well. But you do not have to work in the district to know the reputation of Santa Fe and Albuquerque for that matter. I would not recommend the public schools to anyone. IMO most of the blame goes to the district as a whole rather than just the teachers. It's hard to specifiy anyone specific problem w/in the district. New Mexico in general is a poor state and education seems to be at the bottom of its list. My dad is 70 years-old and teaches kids w/major disabilities. He has only been teaching for about 2 years but he honestly cares about the kids and making the best of their ablities. My father is a retired Juvenile Probation Officer Supervisor (houston tx) and minister and still must retain a full time job(also has alimony payments). One of the major issues is teachers do not get their dues. IMO, teachers have a very hard time living in Santa Fe as teachers it really is amazing that we have any worthy teachers at all. IMO by the time kids reach 8 grade+ the "system" has already failed many of them. I admit I am nervous about how I will choose to educate my child here. Being a single mom still trying to educate myself I can not afford expensive private schools. I have a supportive mother and father that I know will do their best to help me and my son. Im wondering if I will get yelled at now. But everything I have said is my personal opinion. I am still learning about the community. I don't reach out a whole lot but being pregnant has helped me do that a little bit. The city is very extended family oriented IMO. There are alot of communities but it is alot about "who you know or even who you are related to". I think Mothering Magazine could be a very good resource and Im so glad I was introduced to it. I didnt even know a magazine like this existed till recently much less that it was in Santa Fe! I am really looking for a group that is meant for single mom's. I might even consider starting one if there isnt already one.
Ok I think Im done now.
Sincerely,
Amber

[swcolors]

So would you say Santa Fe is an 8 on a scale of 1-10 for being AP friendly? How would you rate Santa Fe's openess to BF, to family bed, to no-vaxing, to home schooling, to home water births, etc.

Has MDC ever done a "Top 10 Most AP-Friendly cities to Live in", I wonder? :p

I'd be interested in having any guidance about all this - we're toying with the idea of moving either to the Santa Fe area or the Ft Collins, CO area......
Thanks!

[amber87507]

Hi again!
Well to be honest I havent had too much of a chance to find out really how "santa fe" as a whole feels about AP and BFing ect ect. I just had my first baby (a boy) on Monday! A whole nother story by the way!! But so far I havent talked in great detail to my former or current doctors about Vac's. The clinic I went to previously had Pro Vac's posters all over the place. At the only hospital in town in Santa Fe there is a jet tub but only one tub and you can not give birth in it. They wont even let you in it once your water has broken. All the nurses are very willing and open to help you breastfeed (maybe a little to eager) and they have a breastfeeding consultant that was very reassuring and nice to me that came to visit me after the baby was born the next day. I think Santa Fe does have a bohemian (sp) way about it but still there are many "traditionalists" here as well. I am entering a whole new world with my baby boy. Also the nurses are very much pro uncut foreskin. I had already decided not to cut my baby and after having him I cant imagine cutting him at all, he is just perfect the way he is!
Hope this helps some.
Thanks
Sincerely,
Amber Faires

[swcolors]

Congratulations, Amber on your new baby boy :-)

And thanks for your info on the Santa Fe area too!

Krystyn

[Moonqueen]

i have a 2 yr old who was born at the hospital here (very nice accomodations - private rooms w/ everything needed). my doctor was very anti-circumcision and breastfeeding but very pro-vaccinating. I have since found a non-traditional doctor (but still accepted by most insurances) who is fine about us not vaccinating and only going to see him once a year (+ he's pro-herbs, etc). my 6 month old was born at home w/ a wonderful midwife (there are several here). i know most of them do water births too. that's what i'd planned to do as well but just didn't make it. they'd just finished filling the birthing pool as ds was born. our babies sleep w/ us and i've received very positive feedback. there are several alternative schools here and i've met a few people who homeschool as well. from what i've heard the new mexico public school is lacking so that's nice to know for future references. hope that helps a little.

[swcolors]

MoonQueen, thank you - I'd like to know more! I found a home/water/hypno midwife in Albuquerque who said she'd travel to Santa Fe, but do any of the midwives you know of do this combination (as well as non-invasive, herbal, homeopathic methods)?

The insurance is an interesting topic since we would very much like to find a naturopath or non-traditional doctor that would also be accepted by insurance (would be nice if (s)he had hospital priveledges too, but I'll settle for just insurance coverage :-) And an insurance that would be sure to cover home-birth. Could you possibly give me the names of some of the insurance companies and doctors you've found that are good?

If this is getting too off-topic, please feel free to email me privately. But I think it might be of some help to Whit and Pionermama as well too!

DH and I are getting so excited - we've been working on a plan of where to move to for months now - I think Santa Fe might be the place we'd like to settle into :p