When this group of women first met, almost 30 years ago, it was all about the newborns.
They bonded over those intense weeks of early childhood. Amid the swaddling and swaying, they formed a strong connection.
As the years passed, they found that they had a lot more to share, including a trip to Tuscany last year. They tell how their friendships have evolved over time and how they have supported each other through good times and bad.
Sheryl
Business owner, 55
"After having my first baby I moved from Melbourne to Sydney, where I didn't know anybody. I went to the baby clinic and the nurse took pity on me.
She said, 'I'll get some other new mothers in the area together and you can meet.'
About a week later I borrowed my husband's car and turned up at the baby clinic with my baby and a cake in hand (and I never bake cakes).
You wouldn't believe it, but the nurse had given me the wrong date! So I went home, cake in hand, and said, 'Oh forget it, I won't do it again. There goes my foray into socialising!' But I went back the next week and we had a good time talking, so I said, 'Why don't we all do this again in about six weeks?'
I put on my best purple Katies shirt, and I made sandwiches and coffee. I was nervous nobody would show up but they all came. We sat around and the babies lay on the floor - except for mine, who was trying to climb the cane furniture! That first meeting was very quiet;
I guess we were all nervous.
We trod carefully in the early days; it wasn't like we were best friends overnight. We were a mothers' group, so we talked about the babies' sleeping patterns (I had one that didn't sleep) and feeding, those sorts of things.
It probably took about 21/2 years until we were really relying on each other.
When I told my husband that I'd invited the girls over that first day, he couldn't believe it. He said, 'You don't do that sort of thing, that's not like you.' But I'll tell you what, it was the best thing I ever did."
Bronwyn
Works at a photography company, 59
"Anne-Maree, Heather and I all had kids at the same primary school. After school we'd go to the park.
We'd bring a thermos full of tea, Anne-Maree would do a batch of brownies, I'd make some popcorn, and quite often we'd be there until dark.
Over the years we've all learnt each other's routines, so if we needed to, we could step into each other's lives and run them. We knew if each other's kids had to go to Brownies or Girl Guides or soccer. So if a mother was in hospital having a baby, we made sure her kids' lives continued.
The first night we ever went away together was when the girls surprised me and said, 'We want to go away for your 40th.' We went to Terrigal, on the central coast [north of Sydney], and stayed in two beautiful rooms at the Crowne Plaza, overlooking the beach.
There was so much planning to get away just for one night! We were in our jammies by 9pm. We ordered room service and opened a couple of bottles of champagne. It was fantastic to be able to actually finish a conversation without being continually interrupted by little kids!
Cups of tea are our big thing. I have a crazy collection of all different cups and saucers. The girls have given me a couple of teacups over the years for my birthday or Christmas, all chintz china and pretty florals. They gave me a teapot one year, too.
We always say that when we go to our nursing home - because of course we'll go to the same one - we'll meet in the dining room with our cups of tea and saucers."
Melissa
Lawyer, 51
"We'd go on weekends away every year, around September or October. Each year someone else would choose where to go. We'd all just lie about and let off a bit of steam about what was going on in the family. We'd come back feeling so much better about things.
You'd tell your other friends about these weekends away and they'd all be terribly envious.
Eight years ago I had a health scare. Sheryl drove me to the hospital and sat with me. The next morning the group all came over for cups of tea, which was nice.
The kids aren't the centre of our relationship anymore, it's more about us. We're all completely different, but that hasn't stopped us forming a close bond. In fact, we often describe ourselves as being like sisters - because sometimes it's great and sometimes it's not perfect, but you'll always love them regardless."
Heather
Office assistant, 53
"Thirteen years ago my husband said he wanted to move to the Gold Coast and start a business. I knew this was something we had to do, but I felt my world crashing down because I was leaving the girls from my mothers' group.
My 40th birthday was the week before we were due to leave. Unbeknownst to me, the girls organised a big surprise party about four weeks before that.
I thought it was a pre-Christmas dinner - we always got together for Christmas - so I arrived with my bag of presents. And when I walked into MJ's yard it was full of people there to greet me and wish me a happy birthday!
A friend who worked in radio had taken the six girls and my husband and children to the studio and they made a CD about me. Receiving it at the party brought a lot of tears to the event.
I still find it hard being away from the group. I've got into trouble off my husband a few times because I haven't built new close relationships here in Queensland. I have friends, but I haven't built a bond with anybody else like I have with my mothers' group friends. My heart will always be there with them."
Anne-Maree
Works in the family business, 56
"When I was pregnant with my fourth child I went into labour while my husband wasn't home. Heather swung by to take me to hospital and Bronwyn swung by and picked up all of my children, so Bronwyn ended up having Heather's kids and my kids and her own.
We got to hospital and I was in quite heavy labour and the doctor said to Heather, 'Are you staying?' Heather said, 'You know, we're very close but we're not that close!'
It's lovely because some of the children have become close friends over the years. Heather's daughter Brittany and my daughter Christina, who are both 24, are the best of friends. They started having babycinos together before babycinos were a thing.
There have also been instances when some of the children have clashed. That could have been the breaking point, but we just stepped back and rode it out. The group never backed one girl over another, we just all supported each other.
I was diagnosed with kidney cancer in November. Soon after the diagnosis, we were all meeting for a barbecue at Donna's house. I walked through the gate and I just relaxed, because I thought, 'I don't have to talk about it if I don't want to, or we can talk about it.' It was like coming home.
Last year I lost my dad, which was really hard. Heather helped get the Order of Service ready and the girls took flowers up to my mum; everybody was there.
When things like this happen you get a lot of support from friends in general, but then the phone calls stop from everybody else, except our group. They remember you, every week, every day."
Donna
Business owner, 52
"We went to a fundraiser ball in 2014 for Vision Australia and they had an auction. There was a trip to Tuscany for 10 people and our husbands said, 'You should all go.' After a few red wines and champagnes we were all like, 'Let's bid.' One of our husbands bid on it and we thought he was joking, but he won.
We went last autumn. It was this beautiful three-storey Tuscan villa, exactly like you'd imagine out of the book Under the Tuscan Sun. We pretended we lived there. We went to the shops, bought local produce and walked around the streets. One day we walked down a beautiful little dirt lane and picked grapes that were hanging low from a vine. We'd never tasted grapes as sweet as that in our lives.
Two years ago I turned 50 and said, 'I want to have a princess party.' And my husband said, 'Are you five, or 50?' But what I meant was like Princess Grace, not 'pretty in pink' princess. I said we could all wear tiaras and our ball dresses. My girlfriends supported me and said, 'Let's do it.'
Sheryl found a Barbie doll that looked a bit like me and they made this magnificent Barbie cake with a black skirt and long black gloves. They brought it out at the party and at first
I laughed, and said, 'Oh my god, that's the funniest thing.' And then I just cried; a 50-year-old with a Barbie doll cake! But they made it for me; they did this crazy thing for me."
MJ
Works in education, 57
"Even after 27 years we still get together a lot as a group. We've spent New Year's Eve together on a few occasions. We also do spontaneous things, like we had a picnic together last weekend.
We've celebrated all the significant times in our lives and significant birthdays - like those that end in 'zero' (and there have been lots of those).
We always get together and choose something that's going to be a memento for that person's significant birthday. The group have given me lovely necklaces and pearls over the years. Whenever I wear them, that's exactly who I think of: the group.
Going to Tuscany together was lovely. We'd go to the local market and buy different bits and pieces. Anne-Maree's a very good cook so she got us organised.
There'd be such a buzz in the kitchen, everybody helping out with the salad and sharing a glass of wine. We had so many laughs. Whenever we get together we always have a great laugh; you can forget about whatever else is going on.
We're a very eclectic group and we don't live in each other's pockets. Everyone's got other things going on in their lives, but when we get together it seems like we saw each other yesterday and we just pick up from where we left off."