A RETIRING midwife who has welcomed thousands of babies into the world says her career almost took a turn in the opposite direction.

Before Rona Birch became a midwife, she was set on a job at a funeral directors.

Now she is saying goodbye to colleagues at the Royal Bolton Hospital after 43 years in the profession.

Mrs Birch, aged 67, said: “I originally wanted to be mort-ician’s assistant. It was very male orientated back then so I ended up choosing something completely different.

“Instead of seeing people out of this world, I ended up bringing them in! It has been a fantastic career and a privilege to work as a midwife in Bolton.

“The girls I work with are wonderful and I would rec-ommend any woman to give birth there.

“Over the years, I’ve probably delivered thousands of babies and it still amazes me.

“Nature really is a wonderful thing.

“All you want when you’re a midwife is for all women to have a safe delivery.

“Like any job, it has its low points. It can be very sad when someone loses a baby and it never gets any easier. It upsets the whole team. But they look after you at Bolton.”

Mrs Birch, of Tottington Road, Harwood, plans to spend her retirement travelling the world with another former midwife — as well as spending extra time with her daughter, Jackie Gale, and granddaughter, Daisy.

She is also treating herself to a new set of wheels.

Mrs Birch added: “I’m getting a new fast car and going travelling to Jamaica in December. I’ve also planned a trip to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia next year. I’ll be getting a little dog after that too.

“There are a lot of things I will miss about being a midwife.

“You can’t beat seeing the look on a mum’s face when she sees her baby for the first time.

“And if the dad starts welling up, well that’s me gone.

“It really has been fantastic.”