A big topic on the minds of most new parents is whether they will use cloth or disposable nappies.  Gone are the days when cloth nappies meant bulky terry squares with smelly plastic pants to keep baby's clothes dry.  Now there seems to be a myriad of choices available, and with the help of ebay, more and more work at home mums are appearing, giving you more cloth nappy options at an affordable price.  In fact there are so many choices now, that it can be difficult to work out where to invest your money.  So what does all the lingo mean?  And what nappy will be best to suit both your lifestyle and your baby?

Fitted Nappies

Made of a soft absorbent fabric such as cotton terry, flannel, organic cotton, hemp terry/fleece or bamboo terry/fleece, these  nappies fit comfortably around your baby's bottom and legs, usually with soft elastic at the waist and legs, and closing either with snaps or touch tape so that they can be quickly changed, without messing around with pins.   Hemp and bamboo nappies are a very popular choice due to their natural antibacterial properties and high absorbency so if you are after these, get in quick with your bidding as they sell very quickly.

One of the great advantages of fitted nappies are that many are one size fits all, with great size adjustability, so you can use them from birth to toilet training without having to buy more as your child grows. They are also much easier to use than traditional cloth nappies as there is no folding required, and you don't need pins as they do up just like a disposable.  For those willing to give fitteds a go, I highly recommend you try nappies such as Baby Beehinds, Baby Ecos or even some of the Work At Home Mum nappies which can be bought economically from ebay stores such as Cheeky Butts and Small Butts 

Fitted nappies do not contain any waterproof fabric so you will also need to purchase a leak resistant nappy cover. Some great choices for comfortable, breathable nappy covers are Bummis Super Whisper Wraps, Motherease Rikki Wraps  or sometrimes you can find a great wool soaker made from high quality, soft, lanolised merino wool that are perfect for heavy wetters or night time use. Modern nappy covers are SO much better than the tatty old smelly pilchers of yesteryear! Polar fleece nappy covers are also a wonderful choice, as long as they are made from premium fleece such as Malden Mills fleece that has been treated to repel moisture. 

All In One (AIO) Nappies

Very similar to the fitted nappies, AIO's contain a waterproof layer, either hidden or external, which means they do not require a cover so are great for the nappy bag, or whenever a quick and esy change is required.  Dad's and carers love them, as there is no fussing with liners or covers, pins or folding. For some people this is the ultimate cloth nappy style, however you may require a few more than what you will use in a day, as they can take some time to dry due to their high absorbency and waterproofing. 

For maximum breathability, look for AIO's that use PUL fabric or premium polar fleece as their waterproof layer in preference to those containing PVC which will sweat, and become smelly with use.

Some great AIO's to keep your eyes out for on ebay are Rumpsters, Motherease AIO's and some great WAHM nappies can be found in the ebay store Cushie Tushies.

Pocket Nappies

These are my personal favourite as they are super trim, don't require a cover, and as the absorbent material comes as a separate insert to slip inside the pocket opening in the nappy, they dry much faster than other modern cloth nappies.  Pocket nappies are a two part nappy system including the nappy, made of a waterproof layer such as PUL on the outside and a soft microfleece or suede inner to give baby that stay-dry feeling, much like they would get with a disposable, only without that scratchy paper feeling or gell crystals to leak out onto their delicate skin. One major advantage of pocket nappies, besides their super trim fit, is that you can increase their absorbency for nights or car trips, simply by adding extra inserts.  In addition, you can almost stuff them with anything - old flannel bunny rugs, terry squares, microfibre cloths - so even when your inserts are wet, you can still use the fast drying nappy with another stuffing material. 

The only downfall to pocket nappies is that they are generally a sized nappy, so you will usually need three different sizes to last you through from birth to toilet training.  However this can also be an advantage because it means an even better fit on your baby so they will fit easily undermost modern clothes which are designed for disposables.

Some terrific pocket nappies include Swaddlebees, Fuzzi Bunz and Green Kids but you can also find some great WAHM nappies on ebay too.

And another thing to consider...

Unlike disposable nappies wgich can go nowhere but the bin after you have finished with them, modern cloth nappies often fetch a great resale value here on ebay.  So why not give a few different styles a try to work out what works best for you and your family?