Before you buy, however, try to visualize your baby in the outfit. Bowers agrees, noting that some preemie clothing is completely wrong for babies that require electronic monitoring. Even if a clothing manufacturer makes a baby outfit in a preemie size, all too often the manufacturer has not really looked at its audience.

So you will see little bubble outfits that button up the back and have no front openings; you will see sleepers that zip up from the foot to the neck and allow no place for wires to peek through. If you must have the outfit, buy it in a newborn size for your baby to wear when she gets home from the hospital.

As a final note, Seekely advises that parents should use moderation when shopping and refrain from buying a vast preemie wardrobe. Remember, preemies are likely to have outgrown preemie sizes soon after they go home from the hospital, or perhaps even before. So it is a better move to buy just a few pieces and cycle them through, because before you know it, you'll be looking at those clothes and swearing your baby was never that small.

Want to see more?

• Nurturing Your NICU Infant: Comfort for Both Mom and Baby
• Miracle Birth Stories of Very Premature Babies
• Are You Prepared for a Preemie? A Guide to Preterm Babies
• Talk about it!