"We're expecting!" This news is worth sharing with everyone you know. But there are reasons to be careful about what you post online. Just because your phone makes it easy to share things instantly doesn't mean that you should.

Social media can be a great way to connect with your friends and family, and keep in touch with those we don't see very often. Social media is such a big part of our lives that it's almost absurd to eliminate it from them.

In just 11 years, Facebook alone has managed to attract over 1.44 billion active users worldwide. This site makes it easy to see what all your friends have been up to on a daily basis. But Facebook isn't the only social media platform you can share information on. Combined, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Youtube have billions of users.

With so much information available online, it can be difficult to know exactly who can see the photo you posted of your daughter snoozing with the cat. In today's day and age, it's necessary to have strong privacy controls to make sure that our children remain safe.

There are dozens of stories out there about people whose photos or online identities have been stolen. Strangers can steal your photos and use them to create an online personality that looks like a normal online profile. Unfortunately, while the Internet is a great tool, it is also a great danger. There are users of all kinds, with different intentions. Some of those intentions may be harmful for you and your children.

While there are privacy settings you can enact to help keep your information safe, there is a basic law of the Internet you should follow: If it is truly private, do not post it.

Send photos directly to grandparents that live very far away instead of risking the chance of exposing information about you or your child online. Please use these recommendations when posting pictures of your children (or anyone else's) on social networks:

Never post photos of naked children

Although pictures of bath time or a runaway kid during a diaper change are cute, there are monsters online that will use these photos very differently. Please respect the privacy of your child and keep those pictures off the Internet.

Do not post pictures of your day

Certain pictures can put you in a vulnerable state. These photos can tell predators online that you are often alone with your small child, which can make you an easy target. Be careful about posting pictures that give too much information about your schedule.

Try not to show valuables

If you upload to the Internet photos taken at home, try not to show valuable items. There are people out there that can find out where you live, and target you for these valuables. Showing expensive televisions, computers, nice cars and other items may be seen by the wrong pair of eyes and could put you in danger.

Pictures that give away your location

Sharing a family photo you took outside sounds harmless, but can actually contain information about where you live. Before posting, check to see if photos include a street sign, your house number or any other information that could potentially tell someone where you live.

Pay attention to captions

Without realizing it, the captions to your photos may be giving away your privacy. If you are posting pictures every day at 8 a.m. about your child leaving for school, you just let someone in on when your child isn't home with you.

Do not upload photos of your baby or children in funny situations

In the days of Internet memes, your child's face can easily become the next viral joke that is shared with millions. Keep your child's privacy by not sharing embarrassing or hilarious photos publicly.

Having kids at home certainly supplies material for some great social media posts, but be careful about what you are uploading online. You would never want the day to come where a picture you posted could jeopardize the privacy or safety of your children.

This is an adaptation and translation of the original article, "Siete consejos a seguir antes de publicar fotos de tus hijos en las redes sociales." It has been republished here with permission.