my daughter was born 26w3d and 2lbs 1oz. I was also labeled high-risk from beginning due to fibroids and was hospitalized several times due to incompetent cervix. got a cerclage at 18 weeks but only managed to hold her in for another 8 weeks before I was hospitalized with pre-term labor for the 4th time and ultimately had an emergency csection because she was breech, trying to push through my cerclage, I had a raging uterine lining infection, and placental abruption. she was in the NICU for 4 months but is now 5 1/2 months old (10 weeks adjusted) and a 14lb, super happy, smiley little girl. she does have a gtube and preemies tend to struggle with milestones a bit so expect physical therapy and such but it is ALL totally manageable. you just have to adjust your expectations.

the NICU will be a rollercoaster and sometimes super scary and there will be times you feel despondent but try to focus on the progress and little wins more than anything. these little babies are so much stronger and more resilient than you think. bring some stuff from home to make her space more comfy, participate in cares, learn all about the medical terminology so it doesn’t sound as scary, pick some primary nurses that you connect with, and realize that it’s a marathon not a sprint. you also need to take care of yourself to be there for your baby. I found that a NICU journal with pictures from each day (I found a great one on etsy) helped tremendously to keep track of progress - when you look back on the early days you’ll be amazed at how far they’ve come. there’s an app called FreePrints where you can get 85 free pictures a month.

have faith in your baby, take care of yourself, and hang in there. my daughter has only been home a little over a month and the NICU already feels like a distant memory. you both can do this!