A woman went into labor - while wearing a hilarious DIY Halloween costume of a baby "breaking through" her pregnant belly."

Natalie Curiel, 35, got creative and made the illusion using Pinterest inspiration and her daughter's old doll.

But when she got a call from her doctor telling her she needed to be induced due to medical complications on October 31, 2024 she had no choice but to go to Baptist Health of Little Rock in the outfit.

The costume got lots of laughter and attention from staff and visitors and Curiel's daughter, Lily, was born safely naturally on November 1, 2024.

The service advisor, from Bryant, Arkansas, said: "I was really big and ready to explode already."

"I couldn't fit into any of the costumes I already owned, and I was too tired to go look for a costume that fit."

Rather than skip the holiday festivities altogether, Curiel turned to Pinterest for inspiration and crafted a memorable costume using items she had at home, including her three-year-old daughter Elsie's unused doll.

"I just made one that I found on Pinterest. I made it with my daughter's doll that she doesn't play with anymore, pasted it on a shirt that still fits me," she said. "

The result was a humorous optical illusion that made it appear as though a baby was breaking through her pregnant belly.

The costume creation process wasn't without its moments of dark humor.

"It felt very disturbing. I was cutting a baby down one half to use, so it was probably traumatizing to my little three-year-old - seeing her baby get cut up for body parts," Curiel said. "

"But she was a good sport about it at the end."

What Curiel didn't anticipate was that her Halloween would take a dramatic turn when she received an urgent call from her doctor instructing her to go to the emergency room immediately due to medical complications.

"I got a call from the doctor that same day on Halloween, and they told me I needed to go to the emergency room immediately to get induced," she said. "

"I was so in an adrenaline rush that I could have changed my shirt. "

She added: "I know I probably could have, but I just wanted to go to the hospital and get the baby out."

Still wearing her creative costume, Curiel headed to the hospital, where her outfit drew attention from everyone she encountered.

"I got a lot of reactions from security going into the hospital and then the elevator ride up. People were laughing and taking pictures," she said. "

"Check-in was pretty fun too. Everybody was laughing."

Her husband, Goose, 35, an automotive collision manager from Bryant, had been entirely on board with the costume concept.

"They thought it was hilarious. He kind of went in with the costume as well, so we were both ready to go," Curiel said."

After going into labor on Halloween, Curiel gave birth to her second daughter, Lily, on November 1.

She added: "I just have the cutest baby ever."