Whether you plan to wean your babies "cold turkey" or gradually, weaning to a cup is something that should take place between the twelfth and eighteenth month, and certainly by age two. Weaning multiples can be complicated, so establish a plan before you begin. What follows are merely suggestions - each child is different, so you'll want to tailor the process to your babies' individual needs.

Introduce the cup when your babies first show interest in one (i.e. when they begin reaching for your glass, or start rejecting their bottles), and are able to firmly hold onto things. Keep it simple - start out with a spill-proof sippy cup and a tiny bit of water.

They may only drink small amounts at first, but will gradually increase their intake as they become more proficient (at this point try switching to juice or milk). Eventually, eliminate certain scheduled bottles and replace them with cups (i.e. I replaced the lunch and dinner bottles at eleven months, and the morning bottle at thirteen months).

We had planned to wean our girls by their first birthday, but chose not to press the issue because of an imminent cross-country move. We figured the girls would do better during the move if we kept something familiar in their bedtime routine. My husband was out of town when I decided to surprise him and complete the weaning process. I told my girls that they were "big girls now," that they didn't need bottles anymore, and from now on they would get all their drinks in a cup. It went very smoothly and they didn't appear to miss their bedtime bottles. When I put them to bed that night, I thought to myself, "this was too easy."

But we all know that nothing is easy with twins. The crying began as soon as I shut the door. It must have finally dawned on them that there was not going to be a bedtime bottle. I put my "book knowledge" to the test, went back into the room, offered each a sip of water, and again explained that the bottles were all gone. I told them I'd bring them some water if they were thirsty. It took about forty-minutes and a few trips into the bedroom with "water-in-hand" before they finally fell asleep.

I only made two trips back into their room the following night, one the third night, and by the fourth night, there were no complaints at all. My husband was very surprised and excited when he returned home to find the bottles gone. I know that a small part of him was also sad because his girls were no longer his "little babies." I know this because I felt the same pangs of sadness when I took those last bottles away.

Good luck and happy weaning!

Donna May Lyons is the stay-at-home mom of fraternal twin girls born in 1993, and a singleton son born in 1997. Donna has been a freelance writer since 1991, and enjoys writing about her faith, family, and the humor of daily life. Donna authored the chapter on stay-at-home parenting in the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs, Inc. (NOMOTC) book, Twins to Quints. She has also contributed articles to TWINS Magazine, the award-winning NOMOTC's Notebook, the San Antonio Christian Beacon, Women's Edition magazine, and RESOLVE (a national infertility support group).

Donna graduated magna cum laude from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, with a degree in Mass Communications. She resides in Colorado Springs with her husband and three children.

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