My LO was born at 33+5 at 3lbs 15 oz. He was perfectly healthy just small and couldn't maintain his body tempature or maintain the strength to eat all of his feeds. He started breastfeeding at 5 days old, (he didn't start getting tube feeds until 3 days old due to high magnesium levels). He spent 18 days in the hospital, 4 days in the NICU, probably 6 in the NICU (step down), and another 8 in the low level NICU (they are all called the NICU, but by the end it isn't really...probably what you all in the UK have the SCBU? still more than average nursery but not really NICU....) and the last 5 (or was it 6?) I stayed with him in the room to work on breastfeeding full time. So 18 days in the hospital total.
His lungs and stuff were fine, just needed to gain weight and strength! He stayed "preemie/newborn" for a LONG time. He had to be "kept awake" to feed for a while. He slept so well. All the time, anywhere, you could put him down awake and he would go right to sleep....about 3 weeks adjusted that went away. He fights sleep like a full term baby now...
We did have to use nipple shields to nurse but we got off those recently.
He only wore preemie clothes for 2 weeks or less, he moved up to newborn in the hospital. Also preemie diapers and newborn are literally the same size, just the newborns are thicker/more absorbent. We just moved into 0-3 month clothes at 3 months actual age, he still wears larger newborn size clothes. He may be moving into size 2 diapers soon though, he just started blowing out of size 1s...either that or a different brand. They are all good for pee but this is the 4th or 5th day he has had poopie clothes. And car seat. And couch pillow....
