A LEYLAND midwife who helped hundreds of babies into the world has made her last delivery.

Rosemary Beardsworth, 51, has delivered babies for 27 years but is having to retire because of arthritis in her hands.

Rosemary, of Sandy Lane, started nursing at Chorley Hospital in 1969 when it was a cottage hospital.

After spells at Wigan Infirmary and Sharoe Green Hospital, Preston, she returned to Chorley in 1975.

The mother of two daughters, who is married to Tony, 51, has also worked outside in the community, doing antenatal clinics, aqua-natal exercise classes and home births.

She spoke of her pride and sadness at leaving Chorley's maternity unit, which has been midwifery led, with no doctors at all, since 1998.

Rosemary said: "I have loved my job. I have loved everything about it. On the night shift you could get two or three deliveries a night.

"Every person who comes to you in labour are different. Some are frightened, some mums and dads are crying, but even after doing it for 27 years I can still get emotional."

Rosemary was lucky to survive her own birth at Chorley Hospital in 1951 -- three months premature, she weighed just two pounds and two ounces.

Her tiny size earned her the nickname of the 'Pint Pot of Adlington'.

Doctors told her mother, Gwendoline Catterall, there was little chance of her surviving.

She was taken home wrapped in cotton wool in a shoebox and put in the airing cupboard.

Her mum also rubbed her down with olive oil to keep her warm.

But she did survive and grew up to be the helping hand in births in Preston, Leyland and Chorley for nearly 30 years.

Now Rosemary has even started to deliver babies from babies she delivered more than 20 years ago.

She said: "That has happened twice in the last eighteen months. It is strange. People say that it is time to get out when that happens!"