Did you go through an agency?

Interesting! I honestly thought that adoption through an agency was ethical because it meant the birth mother had a case worker to protect her best interest and our agency offers lifetime counseling to the birth parents if they are ever struggling with their choice to place. I am curious what kind of experience some birth parents have with agencies because I was told the opposite when we were starting our adoption journey. I was told we were more likely to get scammed if we didn't go through an agency and it would end up costing far more than if we used an agency, etc. My husband and I were initially wanting to pursue a private adoption, but then people told us these worst case scenario stories and I guess we felt very uneducated about the legal process of adoption. I did think it was extremely nice to have an agency to help educate me since it was our first adoption, but I am really sad to hear that birth parents aren't always treated well. I would love to hear more about why you prefer private adoption as opposed to adopting through an agency.