Are 3-year-olds always this sick?

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My FDH is freaking out a bit because FSD3 seems to be constantly ill. It started about 6 weeks ago with a cold and since then, every time he's had her (50/50 custody), she's had a wet cough. Every other weekend, it's the wet cough and a fever, which sometimes evolves into vomiting because the child won't spit out her phlegm or blow her nose because "It's dirty." Cute kid, really, even if she is a bit OCD...

Anyway, I wanted to ask you parents out there how normal this plague monkey status is? She's already been to the doctor once who reassured FDH that the kid doesn't have pneumonia or bronchitis. She has some cough syrup which is roughly 70 percent effective at getting her cough to calm down and 90 percent effective at knocking her out for 6 hours. But, after listening to my ex whine for 6 weeks and hearing the day care call to have her shipped home two times within as many weeks, I agree -- something doesn't seem right.

I'm thinking allergies for the wet cough. The fevers could just be different strains of childhood illnesses we all get. But the coughing is taking its toll because she doesn't sleep very well and in the mornings sometimes vomits even without fever because of the phlegm buildup. I wish my FDH would let me mess with her diet a little to take out dairy because chugging chocolate milk does NOT help coughs, but alas, I lack that privilege. I also wish I could take her with me in the shower to hold her up to the steam the way my mom used to do, but that is a Boundary Issue we're not ready to explore yet in our relationship.

Anything else it could be? Any advice I could try to offer him? Cheers!

I'd suggest a second visit to

I'd suggest a second visit to the doctor...although I thought nixing milk while coughing was a big ol DUH...guess not. Try having your FDH put vicks vapor rub on her chest and put a humidifier in her room...those may help.

Good luck!

Have they tested her for

Have they tested her for asthma? Both my stepkids had mild asthma (sd's developed into full blown asthma) when they were small. That's exactly how it presented, as a wet cough that never went away. See if you Dan get a Dr to prescribe a nebulizer with some albuterol for a week or two and see if it gets better. We would deal with it constantly from early fall to early spring. The cold air combined with pollen would start it off, and every bug out there would cause them to flare up and cough uncontrollably.

SS outgrew it at about age 6, and SD got worse and now has classic asthma symptoms that require medication. Ours got way worse at night, and the only way we got an accurate diagnosise was going to the ER when the sympoms were at their peak, and a Dr could listen to their lungs when they were at their worst.

Also, Vicks on the bottoms of her feet, and then put socks on her at night.. do not put it on her chest or face. It's too strong for her at this age and can make it worse.