6 Things to Consider Before Sharing Baby's First Photo

Again, there's no rush. Not only is it important for you to enjoy your first moments with your new baby, but let's be real: although you might marvel at the miracle of life, your co-worker might not want to see a baby still covered in blood, your squeamish friend might not be ready to see a newborn still attached to the umbilical cord, and Great Aunt Milly might have a hard time focusing on you and your little newbie when your placenta is sitting on a table in the background.

This doesn't mean you have to wait to orchestrate a fully staged photo shoot or, conversely, avoid snapping photos throughout those first magical moments. In fact, we love looking at birth story photos as much as the next mom, but keep them for yourselves for now and try to make the first official baby photo a clean one.

There's nothing quite so beautiful as a newborn baby asleep on a mother's chest. If this is the photo op you're looking for, just examine the shot closely for any nip slips before sending it. You might not be overly modest about your skin-to-skin session, but your parents might not feel comfortable sharing the picture.

In addition to potential wardrobe malfunctions, keep an eye out for anything you don't want on display. A whiteboard in my hospital room was scrawled with my postpartum to-do list, which included the words "first bowel movement." Not the ideal backdrop for our first family photo.

These days, you are probably sending out your digital birth announcement on an iPhone, and if you're doing so the same day as your little one's birth, your typing thumbs might still be a bit shaky.

I pride myself on being a grammar and spelling pro, seeing as it's a key part of my day job, but everyone needs an editor, and thankfully, I had my husband proofread my caption. Without his help, friends might still think my daughter Viola's name is, in fact, Voilà! (Related: beware the dangers of autocorrect!)

You might turn your nose up at the idea of giving your baby a hashtag or even his or her own Instagram handle, but let me tell you: it's worth it. Having one offers me countless moments of reflection. One click on the hashtag, and I get a stream exclusively of her shots (and none of my ridiculous aerial food pics I'm guilty of taking on occasion). Plus, if anyone else takes a picture of her, I can always tag it and keep it close at hand.

So, if you decide to use one, plan it out well in advance of your trip to the hospital. If you want the hashtag to grow with your tot (will hashtags even still be used in five years?), maybe don't choose #BabyChristopher, as he won't be a baby forever. Or the baby's full legal name, for privacy purposes. Or something too long or too difficult to remember, both of which will make it less likely to be used. Also, make sure it's not already a popularly used one, as you'll have to scroll through hundreds of unrelated pictures every time you want to dig up a photo.

Some might balk at sharing baby pictures on Facebook, but it's truly the fastest way to share news and saves you the trouble of worrying about any etiquette surrounding who finds out first. If, however, you do want to send word to a VIP list of sorts, map that out ahead of time.

Consider preparing an email draft with the addresses already added in the "To" field a few weeks before your due date. This way, you don't have to wonder if you've forgotten anyone . . . or go digging around for your uncle's Hotmail account.

The worst way to send baby's first photo is if someone beat you to it. Your mom or sister might be so excited for your baby's arrival that they jump at the chance to pull out their phone and share the news with their loved ones. Make sure you set up some sharing guidelines.

The best bet is to ask that for as long as you're in the hospital, no one shares any photos without your consent. You have every right to control what's released during those first few days, if not for much longer.