Ohhh nappy thread!!!!!
I might be able to help with some questions!
Helen birth to potty nappies are great, they do tend to look very bulky on newborns, but as they are not moving around in terms of crawling etc its not a hindrence to them, and any myth you hear about giving them bandy legs, funny hips is coblers. However you may find that they are a bit to big for your newborns as they are normally best fort 8lb up to about 35lb. Also newborn meleconin poo is particulaly evil and stains nappies for all eternety, so you could always use disposies for the first few weeks, or alternativly a lot of birth to potty nappies like the tots bots also do a size 1 which covers ickle babies, you often see these pop up cheap on ebay as you dont use them for long untill they move up to the bigger size.
When looking for nappies you want to se what your priorities are if you want the most environmentally frindy, the most slim fitting, fastest drying etc. Personally I would say:
*All in ones are great for if your going to use a nursery or have reluctant family members help with changing, as they are very straightforward to use although very slow drying.
* 2 Part systems using a nappy and a wrap are normally the cheapest option, and still simple to use
*Pocket Nappies are great and slim fitting for toddlers and you can stuff them as little or as much as your child requires, but not normally very good for containing newborn baby poo, and especially if your buying proper inserts are normally the most expensive nappies, allthough as you remove the stuffing and you can just stuff them with terry squares they are very fast drying.
* Prefolds like bambino mios are normally what people try and put them off cloth for good, major pain in the arse for wriggly babies and containment is awfull, but they are very cheap.
When it comes to poppers or velcro, velcro allow for a wider range of fit as they are more adjustable, but poppers are more toddler friendly as some like to rip velcro off easily! So you might prefer velcro for a newborn where their weight and shape is changing a lot, and then opt for poppers as they get older. Also you can use nappy nippers on the nappy itself instead of trying to use pins! and bear in mind that velcro falls apart over time, so if you want your nappies to see you through more than one child you will either need to replace your velcro or opt for nippa or poper fastening.
Finally fabrics
*Bamboo is the most absorbent, soft to the touch and slim fitting as you dont need as much. On the downside it takes ages to dry so you need to power a dryer, or have plenty at hand to be able to have them drying for a couple of days at a time.
*Hemp Like bamboo this is very absorbent and very environmentally friendly as it doesnt require the same amount of fertilizers and pesisides as cotton to grow and is very sustainable. Only draw back is if you live in a hard water area in particular it can become quite stiff and crunchy with use.
*Cotton good old fashions terry, not as absorbent as the other two but faster drying can get bleached or unbleached.
*Microfibre, extremly fast drying so excellent if you dont have a dryer or want to save electricity, will dry indoors with a few hours! draw back is its a man made fibre, so not ideal if your wanting natural fibres against your childs skin, but also prob still less of an impact on the environment as your not needing to power a dryer every couple of days to dry your nappies!
Hope this info helps with your decision making!