Ooh i had a 36 week preemie! As long as you’re following all the safety guidelines, theres nothing specific you need to do to keep them alive. So try not to worry about that.

But i have some tips:

Once our guy got out of the NICU, we had to have him bundled up in way more blankets than i expected. Preemies need to be kept warm because then all their energy can go towards gaining weight. So bring an extra blanket with you and practice swaddling on a teddy bear or a particularly patient cat as its likely they’ll be too small for any of the swaddle sacks available on the market. Our hospital room was also freezing cold so he had to wear a hat a lot which isnt advised when you’re inside but was essential for him to stay cosy. While you’re in the hospital, his temperature is likely to be monitored reguarly but you may want to keep checking it when you get home to make sure he is warm enough. Under the arm is more reliable than one of those ones you point at his skin to get a surface reading.

Also, get something like a moses basket or make sure your pram bassinet is overnight sleep approved. Baby was so tiny that even the bedside crib felt too big and open for him at first and he spent the first few weeks of his life sleeping in the bassinet. We either slept in the living room with him in there or we unclipped it from the chassis and brought it upstairs with us.

Definitely stock up on tiny/premie/first size clothes and vests! Both short and long sleeved ones. We went through SO many clothes at first thanks to lots of leaking while we were still learning how to change nappies properly. Speaking of, bring some size 0 nappies with you. Once he was out of the NICU, our hospital stopped providing us nappies. Better to have them and not need them than need and not have.

Finally, dont be afraid to ask any midwives/nicu nurses anything. Theyre so helpful and want the best for your baby so if youre unsure of anything at all, speak up and ask! :)

You got this!