Cloth diapering

Why are there so many options!? We've planned on cloth diapering since before we got pregnant (ok, mostly me, but I like to include Tim) and now that it's come down to it, it's time to make some decisions I suppose. I've been looking at reviews online and it seems that everyone thinks their cloth diapering method is the greatest thing ever so I'm at a loss. I've been looking all over the internet on a regular basis, trying to find the good deals on the all-in-ones or pocket diapers because I know that it will save us money in the long-run, but shelling out $20 for a Happy Heiny is painful. 

My mother-in-law is going to make a handful of pocket diapers for us, from a pattern that Tim's cousin uses. I also wanted to try pre-folds with covers as well because they are more economical and it's nice because you don't need as many covers as diapers. I'm not entirely convinced it's truly more economical becuase covers run in the $12-$15 dollar range and the actual diapers is a few bucks too so about equals the $16-$20 you would pay for one of the nifty all-in-ones. Maybe I should just experiment with a few until I decide on a kind I like. I think it really depends on the parent's needs as well as the baby's shape, I've read that some people have leaks with certain diapers while some love them so I'm guessing it just depends. I bought a starter gDiaper kit from Craig's List last week for 10 bucks, it comes with two diaper covers with disposable (but compostable or flushable) inserts. If you use the inserts consistently it comes out to being more expensive than disposables (still better for the environment/baby's bum), but you can also use cloth diaper inserts in the same diapers. I read somewhere that you don't want to put microterry next to your baby's bum though, but rather underneath another fabric. I can't find anything else to substantiate that. Is it bad for their skin or does it cause a wicking problem? It's probably better to go with organic cotton or hemp or bamboo over microterry anyways, since they are natural fabrics and absorbent as well. I've also  been reading that the synthetic material in the all-in-ones like Bumgenius or Happy Heinys is harder to wash and wears down quicker than a separate diaper/cover system like an organic cotton diaper and a wool cover, for example. But then there's the caring for the wool and how expensive they are and that kind of turns me off to that idea. 

What about the one-size diapers? Can a diaper truly fit 5-35 lbs? Really? 

Conclusions: None. I want to maybe buy a dozen pre-folds ($20 or so) and then a few covers ($40) and try those. I think I'll buy a Bumgenius or two ($16 each), I want to try these SposoEasy diapers($18 each) becuase they are 100% cotton and have a nifty liner that isn't connected all around so it washes more thoroughly and dries quicker. gDiapers with the disposable inserts seem like a good idea when we're in a place where changing will be trickier, though I hear that changing a cloth diaper isn't as tricky as it seems. I'll probably stick with that one kit for now and see how we like them. And we need to invest in a good waterproof bag. 

Cloth diapering-- It's a lot to think about, and I've been doing quite a bit of baby thinking lately. I think this will be pretty much our only "big" purchase for our baby (besides the $35 carseat we found on Craig's List practically brand-new or the $12 fabric I bought for the mei tai Melissa is making me... a shout-out to Lauren for passing down all of her baby clothes and things, thanks!), so maybe we should splurge and go for the convenience of the fancy all-in-ones but I want to do what's best for my baby's bum and the environment at the same time. Also, being in school and working, I want something that's not too complicated (like stripping fleece diapers or lanolizing wool covers). 

If you're interested in cloth diapering or want to know what the heck I'm talking about, Melissa referred me to this wonderful website that not only sells them but teaches you exactly what you are buying and how to use it. It's great, especially for people like me who have no idea.