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

Mar. 15, 2025

(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.Photo:Laura Ortiz

Laura Ortiz

Laura Ortiz, a 27-year-old artist and stay-at-home mother, revisited the couple’s happy Halloween memory in a video sheposted on TikTokSunday, Oct. 27. In the video — which has over 3.3. million views — she and husband Reid Halvorson, 26, wear costumes from theThormovies, with Ortiz portraying “Lazy Thor,” while her husband rocked a look from the 2022 filmThor: Love and Thunder.

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

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.

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

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.”

Laura Ortiz as Thor from Oct. 31, 2023.Laura Ortiz

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.

Laura Ortiz and Reid Halvorson with their daughter Emilia.Laura Ortiz

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.

source: people.com