Now Facebook Users Can Add 'Expected: Child' To Their Profiles

Facebook users can now let their friends know when they are expecting a child, complete with due date and chosen baby name, the social networking blog Inside Facebook discovered Wednesday.

Users have been able to add family members with Facebook accounts to their profiles since December 2010, when Facebook last gave profile designs a major facelift. In February 2011 Facebook made further changes by inserting an option for a "civil union" and "domestic partnership," and now they have added an "Expected: child" field as well.

Here is what your new option to announce an expected child on Facebook looks like:

And here is what it looks like when you announce your incoming bundle of joy on your Facebook wall:

[Note to my mother: I am not expecting a child in February 2012].

To add this information to your profile, click on your profile, then "Edit Settings," followed by "Friends and Family." From the drop-down menu listing different relations, you can choose "Expected: Child" from other options such as "Daughter," "Father," or "Cousin: Female."

Though Inside Facebook reported that Facebook had been allowing them to tag friends as their expected children, that glitch appears to have disappeared. A user can, however, still enter her friend's names as her "Expected: Child," though that person's profile information will not be synced.

So, there you have it: expectant parents no longer have to create profiles for their unborn children with ultra-sounds as profile pictures.

We've contacted Facebook for a statement on the new feature.

Comments

[Bethanese]

10:46 AM on 08/11/2011

But we still cannot add "stepdaughter," "stepson," "stepmother," or "stepfather." I would rather list my stepkids than list my 10-week-old fetus. And don't get me started on the oversharing of ultrasound photos - I should not be forced to see your uterus every time I want to communicate with you. Why must it be your profile photo?

[Bethanese]

03:16 PM on 09/23/2011

YAY! FINALLY we can! I just got a family request from my stepdaughter. Who says change is bad?

[vmrs]

05:36 PM on 08/03/2011

Is it me or shouldn't you only have friends and family on your facebook? Shouldn't they know? Why would it be stupid to post you're expecting. How is it any different from posting who your mom is or HECK your picture.

It really isn't a difference. Everybody is overreacting!!

Get Over IT!

[am10]

08:53 AM on 08/03/2011

Maybe I'm paranoid, but letting countless people know you are pregnant and about to have a newborn at home isn't really safe. Yes, it's a long shot that a crime will be committed - but to me it's similar to posting that you're on vacation (home is unprotected and empty) and/or the hubby is away on work (no man in the house). A friend of mine had her car stolen while on vacation - I didn't say anything, but everyday there was an update from 1,500 miles away.

[skakvi]

12:50 PM on 07/31/2011

Every time somebody selects this option, a bunny will be kicked into a volcano!

[FaceTheTruth00]

09:37 PM on 07/29/2011

Good grief. I am all for connecting and reconnecting with "lost" friends and family members. But what kind of narcissists think that people need to know their every move?

No offense to twitter users here, but if that's not the most useless "social media", I don't know what is. Few people are so witty as to necessitate real-time thought-sharing. And aside from that, no one really finds your choice of breakfast cereal or what you're doing at work this very minute all that riveting.

[Yam716]

09:41 AM on 07/29/2011

FB is trying toooooooooo hard.

They should have kept it simple, stew. pid!

[Martha Rayburn]

05:46 PM on 07/28/2011

Why do people feel the need to share so much personal information about themselves on the internet. I'm on Facebook, but share very little personal information, and I intend to keep it that way.

[Yam716]

09:42 AM on 07/29/2011

Smart Lady.

[tweedy54]

07:44 PM on 07/29/2011

agreed!

[Martha Rayburn]

05:44 PM on 07/28/2011

And this deserves a whole news article why???? If people want their friends to know this information, all they have to do is announce it in their status. Surely, there are more pressing issues to waste space on.

[MISTERWRITER]

04:22 PM on 07/28/2011

I want the "Now I am using the bathroom" share button! FB!!!!

[Yam716]

09:42 AM on 07/29/2011

YES!

[FaceTheTruth00]

09:34 PM on 07/29/2011

That's what Twitter is for.

[dreamsugar]

03:44 PM on 07/28/2011

....weird

[K-Kay]

03:40 PM on 07/28/2011

Does that mean there will be other "Expecting" catagories in the future? The format seems to lead to it. I'd like an "Expecting: kittens" catagory.

[James Sunshine]

03:08 PM on 07/28/2011

this is just kinda creepy

[sunbeltvoter]

02:47 PM on 07/28/2011

And the Data Mine know as Farcebook can immediately sell the names and address of the parents to every diaper, baby food, and stroller company.

EVERYTHING they do is to scam people into giving up more info so they can sell it to advertisers.

[Yam716]

09:43 AM on 07/29/2011

Sounds about right...

[666dorado]

02:30 PM on 07/28/2011

next feature???

Expected: bowel movement.

[sunbeltvoter]

03:07 PM on 07/28/2011

with easy YouTube link?

[James Sunshine]

03:09 PM on 07/28/2011

wouldn't surprise me

[666dorado]

02:28 PM on 07/28/2011

i hate this cheesey photo. the reflection reads "facebook" correctly, which means that the person is looking at a backwards image on their computer (unless they are looking in the mirror at their computer screen).