Cloth Diapers for the Total N00b - Part 1

A month before E was born, I was panicking. Everyone says all you really need when the baby comes home is a carseat (check), a place for them to sleep (check), and diapers - BIG NOT CHECK!!! Not only hadn't I bought my diapers, I didn't even know what I wanted to buy.

The world of cloth diapers can be incredibly intimidating when you first approach it - so many options, so many price points, so many brands! Somehow, none of the (many, many) pages I read made it all clear. This intro probably won't either, but I'll make an effort, at least. Hopefully it will clarify something for someone!

Before we start, though, a few important things to remember:

1) You do NOT have to know everything there is to know about cloth diapering to get started. Things will make much more sense once you've actually tried a few.
2) You do NOT have to have every diaper you will ever need to get started. In fact, if you try to do this, you're likely to find that some of what you bought just doesn't work for you anyhow! Every baby and family is different - just focus on getting enough to get started, and then you'll figure out what fits your baby best, what you find most convenient for you, etc. You can sell what doesn't work and buy new things to try bit by bit.
3) You do NOT have to commit to a particular system, brand, or even type of diaper! You might use one type at home and one to go out, or one during the day and one at night, or you might just have a big mix of things that you use as you feel like it! I think the best approach is to buy a few different brands or styles at first to see what works for you. If you find you really love a particular diaper, you can stock up later.
4) As with anything in parenting, you will be amazed how quickly you go from n00b to expert once you're actually using these things in your day to day life. Remember, that was me up there panicking only about six months ago, and here I am now, writing my own intro!
5) A whole lot of this will be my own opinions, and I'll try to make that clear when it is. Different diapers work for different babies and families - what I hate, someone else swears by. Don't take my opinions (or anyone else's) as gospel.