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I have a 27 weeker. I had pre-eclampsia, so I only had 4 days to get mentally prepared. We had an 11 week NICU stay which is considered very good. I really think there isn't much you can do to be prepared. I'll be honest. It's really really hard. Definitely the hardest thing I've ever gone through. But as you go through it just keep thinking that your baby girl will come home. It feels like they never will, but they do. Since they know she has this, she will have time to get the steroids to help mature her lungs which helps a ton! My son got them and he has no breathing issues at all. As for the c section, it really wasn't bad at all. And because your baby will be in the NICU it does help you to heal more easily since you can rest more. Please ask me any questions you have! Here or on my wall. I'm here for you. I'm so sorry you're having to go through this. It will be ok though. My son is 4.5 months old and is doing fantastic!

I had a c-section with a 34 weeker (not super early) and there are a lot of other mommas on here who had preemies too. My biggest suggestions would be 1. make sure you have a pump, and learn as much as you can about how to use it now. Maybe see if your OB can get you in touch with a lactation consultant who can teach you as much as possible now...it was overwhelming to learn having a baby in the NICU (This is assuming you will be breastfeeding...if not, that is okay too!) 2. Tour the NICU and meet the nurses if you can. 3. Reach out to other moms and ask any questions you have, knowing that your fears and anxieties are normal. 4. Ask your hospital if it is possible for accommodations can be made if your NICU stay is short. We were able to stay at the hospital even after I was discharged because our hospital wanted to encourage me to be able to breastfeed. They had an empty room in an overflow wing, and we were able to sleep there free of charge. This eliminated the driving back and forth. LO was only in the hospital for 8 days, and this may not be sustainable for the long term if your stay is long, but even having those extra few days to be close were so wonderful it is worth looking into.

Good luck momma. I know you must be so scared and anxious. I will be praying that baby is healthy and that all goes smoothly for you all!

I had a C-section and NICU stay (although it was much shorter than some) but i'll fill you in on what helped us!

C-section:
1. get some drawstring pants or some yoga pants in a size bigger than you would normally wear. comfort around incision is key.
2. get up and move right away, it hurts like a b*tch, but you will heal so much better if you force yourself back to normal movement. I was up and down and fine by day 5.
3. where the tummy binder, it's a lifesaver.

NICU:
1. Limit visitors, especially this time of year, extra germs are not your friend. We only allowed our immediate family to visit & hold our LO. Tell friends/extended family, they are more welcome to come visit you and look through the window/from a distance but really be careful who touches the precious LO!
2. iPad is your best friend, I spent most of my time in there with LO and when she was sleeping or under the lights (she got jaundice after a few days of not eating) and I couldn't hold her, I would watch Netflix or update friends/family on FB.
3. If your hospital is close enough, make sure you go home and get some good sleep, my favorite nurse finally "kicked" me out saying I was doing LO no good sleeping in the room when she was under the lights, that I would be better if I went home and got rested in my own bed. she was 100% right I was so renewed the next day/two.
4. Ask lots of questions, I may have annoyed the nurses, but I wanted to know what was going on with my child.

(we were initially in there for breathing issues and was on oxygen and she was a "lazy baby" who didn't' want to latch/suck at all and initially didn't want to breathe on her own once she got the oxygen. We ended up syringe feeding her which caused her to get jaundice because she wasn't eating enough to get rid of it.)

And just remember to breathe and that your baby is in good hands. Hormones will be going wild (I broke down about day 3) and was a mess and that is normal, just try to get past it and do what is best for your child!

I'm going to repeat some from above, but here's my list: (I had a 25-weeker and spent 143 days in the NICU).

1. Tour the NICU and meet the docs. This will give you so much piece of mind on the day of the C-section. They probably already have a bed ready and waiting for your lo just in case (that really comforted me).

2. I agree about learning to pump early. You should get a pump and supplies at the hospital, so find out what brand they use and just get extra parts, a cover, and a hands-free bra.

3. Find support. The preemie group on here is great. There's an even larger preemie group on Babycenter which I used a lot at the beginning.

The rest of the stuff you can figure out as you go...

Big hugs and best wishes!!

I've had two children both with IUGR.

My first, the IUGR wasn't caught until 38 weeks. I went in for an ultrasound that day, and a couple of hours later the doctor called me and told me to go to L&D because the baby needed to come out right now. I was induced and delivered vaginally. My baby was tiny but in good shape. We stayed the normal two nights at the hospital with no NICU. After we were discharged we had a couple of extra appts to check weight and bilirubin but that's it. Lydia was 4 lbs 11 oz when we were discharged.

When I was pregnant with my second, we were monitoring a bit closer. After seeing her drop on ultrasounds from 30% to under 10%, they induced me again at 37 weeks. Juniper also did not need any NICU time. She needed some extra monitoring because of her age, but nothing too big. She was discharged at 5 lbs 2 oz.
both my girls were symmetrical IUGR, and vaginal birth can be stressful on IUGR babies, but I felt comfortable attempting it with the monitoring they had in place. Your doctor will probably have you do non stress tests and biophysical profiles to make sure the baby is doing okay. Preemie clothes can be hard to find, target and carters usually has some. Don't overbuy though, they grow fast! Out of the womb, both my girls started to catch up. I'd say my oldest was caught up to her peers by age 1. Now at two, she does have a speech delay which may be related to her IUGR. Hope everything goes well for you and you can cook a little longer to avoid the NICU! I know it's stressful. After two IUGR babies, my husband is adamant that we not have any more because the stress was too much for him.

Here's some pictures of my little ones in the early days. Make sure your car seat is able to handle tiny babies and you may need extra head support to make them fit better. The second picture is my youngest next to her 21 month old sister. Juniper was the size of my toddlers baby dolls, and now her dolls wear all the girls old preemie clothes!

@LaughLines: I work with NICU moms and can wall you some pumping tips if you'd like.

I haven't had a baby in the NICU myself, but from an outsiders perspective I would suggest keeping guests to a minimum. If people want to do something to help you have a friend set up a meal schedule, so people can drop off (not visit) homemade food that will be yummy reheated in a microwave. You will get sick of hospital food quick! Usually there is a "family kitchen" with a fridge and microwave.

I'm had a c section and a 34 week preemie.

On the C section...

Brief undies. High waist. Maternity leggings and or yoga pants that you can pull the fold up. Nothing that rests on your scar.

Pumping came easy for me I pumped 12 hours after the birth he was born at 11:22pm and by the time I recovered for 2 hours and got to see him and got in my PP room it was late. I didn't sleep a lick and had to pump around 11 am after seeing him holding him for the first time and having breakfast.

There are often LCs at the hospital in the NICU. Call and ask, also ask about meeting with a neonatologist to help answer your questions, they scheduled all this for me as standard practice with an expected preemie. I found it helpful to pump next to the baby during the day. I was lucky enough to stay in a room at the hospital for our 22 day stay.
Try to be open minded about it and not worry if pumping takes time at first, I personally believe having a more relaxed approach helps a ton. I could have fed twins!