Is there a minimum weight before she can come home?

We kept asking for the magic weight

A minimum weight felt comforting because it gave us a finish line. We asked what Ari had to weigh before she could come home more than once.

There was no magic number. Her NICU cared about what she could do safely, not simply what appeared on the scales.

Three jobs mattered most for us

Ari needed to breathe steadily, hold her temperature and take enough milk by mouth while growing. Weight moved alongside those skills, but it did not unlock the door by itself.

The useful question became: which job is she still working on? That gave us something real to understand without pretending anyone could promise a date.

Feeding was the slow final stretch

Ari could take only part of each feed herself before getting tired, with the rest given through her tube. Some days the amount rose and the next day it dropped. Watching every millilitre made us slightly cuckoo.

Before discharge, ask for the feeding plan, warning signs, follow-up appointments and a number to call after hours. We also took an infant first-aid course. Happily, the best thing we ever did with that knowledge was not need it.