How is this pregnancy different from my last?

One of the questions I get most often is how I am finding this pregnancy different from my twin pregnancy.

First of all, I know who is kicking me :) And he kicks a lot! I am really in touch with his cycles of sleep and wake, because when he's awake he is on the move. I feel a lot more connected to the baby than I did with the twins, which I think will be the biggest difference even after he's born. Along with the sleep deprivation and nursing, one of the hardest things for me having twin infants was the emotional struggle I had when it came to bonding. I wanted so badly to just give one of them all of me, hold one until they fell asleep, gaze at one lovingly, give one all of my attention. Those moments were few and far between, which really impacted how quickly I bonded with each of them.

Another difference is that I am able to see a midwife, which is a totally different style of care than my rushed OB appointments last pregnancy. We talk for as long as we are able, my girls come to the appointments and hold the doppler, listen to the heartbeat. At my appointment yesterday the midwife said I feel baby kicking so much because there is so much room in my uterus after carrying twins! The baby is just swimmin' around in there. And, because of the previous pregnancy, I'm carrying really low. I think that's normal for a lot of women in their second pregnancy though.

My midwife said to me yesterday that "this birth is going to be completely different". I think the birth part, and having an infant is when I'm really going to notice all the differences between having one and having twins. Twin births are a big deal and often wind up with medical intervention. Having one baby is "normal". What I hope for most with this birth is just that it begins and progresses on its own. I can't believe I'm getting so close to my due date that I'm starting to prepare mentally for the birth!