Fresh 48 or home newborn session—which one is actually right for your family? From grandparents melting at first meetings to curious pets and tricky home lighting, here's an honest look at both options from a Dickinson birth photographer who will tell you what nobody else does.

A couple of weeks ago, I got to spend a little time with Lexie, the woman behind Dirty Seats, Dickinson's own car seat cleaning service. She welcomed me into her neat, tidy laundry room, gave me a no-nonsense rundown of her process, and let me snap some photos while she worked. Lexie is the kind of person who is clearly passionate about what she does and isn't short on words about it and after seeing her in action, I left wishing I'd brought my own kid’s seat in with me.