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

• Pregnant Laura Ortiz dressed up as Thor on October 31, 2023, when it was time to head to the hospital to welcome her daughter — and she made her husband dress up, too
• Before the holidays in October this year, she shared the clip on TikTok, where it quickly went viral
• Ortiz, who had complications with her pregnancy, tells PEOPLE that she’s “always loved Halloween” and that deciding to dress up was also a way to reduce stress

Last Halloween, the couple celebrated by going to the hospital – in costume – to welcome their first child. This year, the video of the happy moment went viral.

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

In addition to their ceremonial entrance into Skyridge Medical Center in Colorado, the clip shows them giving candy to hospital staff and turning Ortiz’s room into a party space. The footage then cuts to a boneless photo of Ortiz in a hospital gown, followed by a sweet shot of the couple with their newborn daughter, Emilia.

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

Laura Ortiz

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

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

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In addition to showing their holiday spirit, Ortiz says dressing up was a way to calm their nerves.

“I didn’t want to bring our child into the world anxious and worried,” she says.

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

Laura Ortiz

As a way of showing their gratitude to the hospital staff who worked that night, Ortiz and her husband even shared 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 to the hospital with strong vibrations,” Ortiz remembers. “My nerves at that point were more about ‘Put on your costume’ than the actual birth.”

She adds, “it ended up being one of the most fun days I’ve ever had.”

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Laura Ortiz as Thor from October 31, 2023

Laura Ortiz

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

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

However, when a new group of nurses arrived and told them they were “celebrities”, at first she thought they might have 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 mother to push her baby out in eight minutes.’ ”

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Laura Ortiz and Reid Halvorson with their daughter Emilia.

Laura Ortiz

Now, a year later, Ortiz says she had no idea their story would have such an impact, but it was nice to touch so many “people’s hearts.”

The mom says she “got a lot of comments” from people who were nervous about the birth, telling her things like, “‘You don’t know how long I’ve needed this.’ ‘I was so worried and now I feel a bit better.’ ”

“I feel happy that I can help some people,” she adds.

As for what they have planned this year, the focus is now on Emilia’s upcoming birthday party that will take place over the weekend. The theme is inspired The princess brideand to answer the question that bothers everyone, yes, Ortiz replies, “We’re all going to dress up.”

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Source: HIS Education