Woman Was ‘Nervous’ Before Giving Birth, So She and Her Husband Went to the Hospital in Halloween Costumes (Exclusive)

Woman Was ‘Nervous’ Before Giving Birth, So She and Her Husband Went to the Hospital in Halloween Costumes (Exclusive) https://ift.tt/lvqU8OC

"I've always loved Halloween," Laura Ortiz tells PEOPLE, sharing that dressing up like Thor to go to the hospital was her idea

Laura Ortiz

(L) Husband and wife Reid Halvorson and Laura Ortiz dressed up as Thor on Halloween 2023 at a Colorado hospital; (R) The couple with their newborn daughter Emilia in 2023

• A pregnant Laura Ortiz dressed up as Thor on Oct. 31, 2023, when it was time to head to the hospital to welcome her daughter — and she got her husband to dress up too
• Ahead of the October holiday this year, she shared the footage on TikTok, where it quickly went viral
• Ortiz, who had pregnancy complications, tells PEOPLE she's "always loved Halloween," and that the decision to dress up was also a way to help reduce stress

Last Halloween, a couple celebrated by heading to the hospital — in costume — to welcome their first child. This year, footage from the happy moment went viral.

Laura Ortiz, a 27-year-old artist and stay-at-home mother, revisited the couple's happy Halloween memory in a video she posted on TikTok Sunday, Oct. 27. In the video — which has over 3.3. million views — she and husband Reid Halvorson, 26, wear costumes from the Thor movies, with Ortiz portraying "Lazy Thor," while her husband rocked a look from the 2022 film Thor: Love and Thunder. 

In addition to making their grand entrance to Colorado's Skyridge Medical Center, the clip shows them giving the hospital staff candy and turning Ortiz's room into a party area. Then the footage cuts to a photograph of Ortiz out of costume in her hospital gown, followed by a sweet shot of the couple with their newborn daughter Emilia.

Laura Ortiz

Laura Ortiz in costume as Thor on Oct. 31, 2023, before giving birth

Speaking with PEOPLE, Ortiz says that before giving birth, she experienced a number of complications, including gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. Because of that, doctors recommended that she plan to induce labor.

“I went to the calendar and I saw we could go in on Halloween,” Ortiz recalls. “And I've always loved Halloween. It's one of my favorite holidays. I kind of thought, 'Well, maybe I'll convince my husband to dress up with me and be Thor from the different movies.' ”

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In addition to showing their holiday spirit, Ortiz says that wearing costumes was a way to calm her nerves.

"I didn't want to bring our kid into the world feeling anxious and worried," she says.

Laura Ortiz

(L-R) Reid Halvorson and Laura Ortiz in costume as Thor from Halloween 2023

As a way to express their gratitude to the hospital staff working that night, Ortiz and her husband even handed out goodies like candy, lip balm, lotions as well as food and drinks.

Fortunately, their efforts to make the experience as stress-free as possible really paid off.

“We went into the hospital with the vibes going strong,” Ortiz remembers. “My nerves were more about ‘Wear your costume' at that point than actually giving birth."

She adds, "it ended up being one of the most fun days I've had in my whole life.”

Related: Mom's 'Last Minute' DIY Halloween Costume for Her Daughter Goes Viral: 'I Was Blown Away' (Exclusive)

Laura Ortiz

Laura Ortiz as Thor from Oct. 31, 2023

Of course, when it was really time to get down to business, Ortiz got out of her costume and into her hospital gown — and despite her fears, she ended up delivering daughter Emilia on Nov. 1, 2023, in about eight minutes.

A short time later, the new mom says she posted footage of the couple in costume on her TikTok, but at the time, it didn't make much of an impression.

However, when a new group of nurses arrived and told them they were "famous," she initially thought maybe they'd suddenly gone viral. “I thought it was because of the Thor thing," she says, but instead the nurses told her, "You're famous [as] the first-time mom who pushed the baby out in eight minutes.’ ”

Related: Hospitalized Babies Win NICU Halloween Costume Contest, as Moms Praise 'Memorable' Holiday Experience (Exclusive)

Laura Ortiz

Laura Ortiz and Reid Halvorson with their daughter Emilia

Now, a year later, Ortiz says she never imagined their story would have such an impact, but that it's been nice to touch so many "people's hearts."

The mom says she's "gotten a lot of commenters" from people feeling nervous about giving birth, who told her things like, "'You don't know how much I needed this.'  'I've been so anxious, and now I feel a little better.' "

"It makes me feel happy that I can help some people out," she adds.

As for what they're up to this year, well, the focus right now is on Emilia's upcoming birthday party, which will take place over the weekend. The theme is inspired by The Princess Bride, and to address a question on everyone's mind, yes, Ortiz answers, "We're all going to dress up."