New trend sees families using Instagram as part of the adoption process

There's a new trend where families have been using Instagram as part of the adoption process, rather than go through a traditional agency.

With hashtags like #HopeToAdopt, #WaitingToAdopt and #AdoptionRocks, hopeful parents are uploading photos, all hoping to connect with potential birth moms in search of a family.

For both parties involved, it's a new way to connect.

"With the internet, expectant parents can be a fly on the wall in their prospective adoptive parents' life. They can see how they're living, they can see how their child will live. And it's not expensive," says Adoption Expert, Faith Rousson.

Adoptive mom Jamie Dorn says, "We're a little more private. So we had a lot to kind of accept if we wanted to put ourselves out there and find our child."

But it worked, through Instagram, they met a mother in her first trimester and started a relationship.

They independently communicated and negotiated through lawyers, and a few months later, they adopted their son, Christian.

Experts say there are always red flags you should look for, such as -- immediate requests for money, and a refusal to supply prenatal records.

Still, when it comes to the wait and the cost of a traditional adoption, many people say this kind of social media connection is unprecedented.

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