AN ELTHAM mum hosted a bumper joint first birthday party for 35 babies in her back garden last weekend.


Salli Murray, who lives in Riefield Road, threw the giant birthday bash for a network of mums who have supported each other from bump to birth … and beyond.


The 32-year-old first met other mums-to-be with a similar due-date on baby website Bounty.


A close-knit community of 200 from across the UK formed a splinter group called September Treats and helped each other through pregnancy and birth with regular meet-ups and friendships created.


Around 140 parents, children and birthday bairns piled onto Mrs Murray’s lawn to celebrate the shared  birthday of the “September Treats” on August 18.


The mother-of-two said: “It was chaos and busy and hot and sweaty but other than that it was brilliant and went without a hitch.


“I think it must be one of the biggest joint first birthday parties.


“We were all due in September. My baby decided to jump ship three and a half weeks early.”


Mrs Murray held the party – which boasted paddling pools, a soft play area and bouncy castle - in time for her daughter Lexi’s first birthday on August 11.


She said: “It was my bright idea! I said I had a big back garden – but didn’t quite expect … 40 babies, 60 adults, 40 children. There wasn’t a square inch left of my garden!”


The administrator for the group, who also juggles a fulltime course in Childhood Studies at Greenwich University, says the support of the mothers has been priceless.


She said: “We went through our entire pregnancies together. It’s been invaluable to most of us.


“When I had my first child, I didn’t have that at all – at this group we talk about everything.


“We have all built lifelong friendships.”


She added: "Sadly, five of our September Treats did not make it safely into this world.”


The women released five star-shaped helium balloons at the party in memory of the group’s babies who were stillborn or died shortly after birth.
 

The September Treats will be climbing Mount Snowdon next month to raise funds for Sands – a charity offering support to families affected by stillbirth and neonatal deaths – in honour of those missing from the party.


To donate to this walk visit justgiving.com/September-treats