A FRIENDSHIP group which was born online met up to celebrate a bounty of bouncing babies’ birthdays.

Around 140 parents, children and birthday bairns turned out for the massive bash which Elizabeth Cody hopes will be the first of many.

The 25-year-old, of Roundtable Road, Downham, first met the other mums-to-be with a similar due date on baby website Bounty last year.

And she then became a part of a close-knit community of 200 from across the UK who formed a splinter group called September Treats.

They have helped each other through pregnancy and birth and now the mother-of-five says they have become lifelong friends.

Ms Cody said: “Our friendship group is just getting stronger and stronger.

“We all meet up and speak to each other on the phone and if we make sure people are okay if we have not heard from them for a few days.”

She took her 11-month-old baby Lillie to the event which was held at the house of Salli Murray, in Riefield Road, Eltham.

Mrs Murray held the party in time for her daughter Lexi’s first birthday on August 11.

She said: “We were all due in September.

“My baby decided to jump ship three and a half weeks early.”

The 32-year-old added: “I think it must be one of the biggest joint first birthday parties.

“There wasn’t a square inch left of my garden.”

And Ms Cody added: “I hope Salli will be up for hosting it again next year.”

The women released five star-shaped helium balloons at the party on August 18 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