Breath holding spell (BHS, for short) is when a baby cry so intensely until he or she couldn’t stop and take a breath. The baby who has BHS holds their breath so long when they cry, their lips and mouth area turns purplish and they might eventually pass out. The moment they pass out, they start to breath normally again.

That’s the normal type of BHS where the doctor make sure nothing’s wrong with the baby’s lungs and health. And when BHS is triggered by crying. Once the baby passes out, he would breath normally again and regain consciousness within a short time. And after a minute or two, he would appear to be his normal bubbly self again.

So that’s what baby Edward’s doctor told me when I took him along on Clarisse’s scheduled second dose of flu jab.

The first time baby Edward nearly passed out was one month ago when my husband was carrying him. He cried so intensely he couldn’t gasp for air in nearly 15 to 20 seconds. When he manage to do so, his eyes began to close and appear to be losing consciousness. It freaked us out. Luckily he came out of it within 30 seconds. As if nothing has happened.

Two weeks later, baby Edward’s separation anxiety kicked into full gear. Whenever I walked out of sight – to the kitchen to take something, to pee, to bathe, anything – baby Edward starts crying. And a few times he cried so badly, he nearly pass out. That period went on for about two weeks.

I noticed in the past few days, his separation anxiety isn’t so bad anymore. Whenever I take a shower, I could now leave him alone in the cot, with daddy’s supervision, and he’ll happily play with his toys. We’re so glad baby Edward is showing signs of moving out of that terrible phase where he’d wail whenever I’m out of his sight.