Mark Zuckerberg, recently shared the news (on Facebook, what else?} of his wife’s pregnancy, noting he and Priscilla Chan had been trying for a long time to conceive, and offering encouragement to other couples with similar fertility challenges.

I hope Priscilla continues to have a healthy pregnancy, and when baby Zuck arrives, I wonder how much of her life will be shared with us. Will she get her own Facebook page, as so many little ones do, complete with photos and daily updates of her behavior? Will the world get to witness her first smile, first steps, first words and the numerous other milestones all parents cherish?

Maybe Mark will blog about fatherhood and raising a child in the age of social media. Or perhaps, Priscilla will share her struggles with breastfeeding or sleep training. Maybe they will do some collaborative project to raise awareness for infertility.

The big question is how, and will, the Zuckerbergs balance being the first family of Facebook with their desire to maintain some level of privacy. Mark is understandably excited, and judging by what he posted, eager to share his baby’s life with the world.

We’re looking forward to welcoming her into the world and sharing more soon when she’s ready to come out and meet everyone!

What if feelings change after she is born? Will Mark become a protective parent, shielding his baby from the world? Will Priscilla’s mama bear instincts kick in and make her fear overexposure of her child?

Whatever happens, the Zuckerbergs will soon experience what so many of us parents do on a daily basis. The need to balance our desire to share our experiences as parents with our hope that our kids will be safe.

I often struggle with this dilemma. As someone who writes about parenting, I often struggle with how much of my family’s life I want to share with the world. There’s a reason I never publish clear shots of my kids’ faces or post their real names on this blog. For me, that’s enough. For others, keeping their kids images off of the Internet is best for them. There are those who even feel that sharing their children’s lives enables them to better control their family image.

The world is a much different place than it was more than ten years ago when Mark Zuckerberg created the social network that would define my generation. Back then it was an exclusive club for college kids, a place where we could share freely, without much worry. Now, the world is online, and our lives are open to all.

Will baby Zuckerberg “like” her potential role as the most popular baby on Facebook?