Friends for life

Clare Blake, 30, a mum and Real Nappies coordinator from Portsmouth, explains how she greened her life

My mum's idea of fresh air is spraying something in a can round the room. But when I was expecting my son, Edward, seven years ago, I was reading everything I could on babies.

Although I knew the best environmental practice was to use cloth nappies, I didn't really see them about and, being 23, I felt like that would make me stand out from the crowd. Edward's dad didn't like the idea of me breast-feeding, while some of the mums I met were shocked I didn't give him squash.

When he was older they would laugh that I was feeding him mush, but it was all home-cooked food which he loved - and it was tasty and cheap!

So, when I joined the nearest local Friends of the Earth group, it was really good - I found some like-minded people, the sort who would be surprised if you turned up with a baby in disposables. I even met my partner, Paul, through the group - and now we have a nine-month-old daughter, Emily.