Hi Juno and congrats! I considered reusables whilst pg, then went totally against them as the info out there is overwhelming. Now full time cloth (DS just turned 13mo) and it's great, cheaper, no more difficult than disposables and I plan to cloth nappy with future DC (extra cheap as I'll be able to reuse a lot of DS' stuff!).
Some tips/info:
- disposables for newborn will be easier because of meconium and small size fittings.
- Nappy Lady questionnaire helps.
- you will need a nappy pail. I actually tried several options (don't ask why, it was a silly mistake!) - trust the reviews! Tots Bots lockable pail with Tots Bots mesh liner is the best. Can throw mesh with nappies in straight into washer, pack of 2 means 2nd one goes on straight away whilst the other is washing with the nappies.
- a lot of people like paper liners. I thought I must have them, but I actually prefer fleece liners. They catch poo better (for us), cheap, and no extra washing as they just go in with everything else. Poo rolls off easily, even diarrhoea/runny poos, quick rinse by flushing the toilet whilst shaking for the worst poos (very infrequent for us now). If you bf, as I understand bf poo is water soluble so even less of a concern for washing.
- the main brands I came across repeatedly were/are: Bumgenius, Motherease, Little Lambs, Tots Bots.
- most councils have a scheme; in my area you get a £54 voucher towards reusable nappies and accessories, I know others where you get a trial pack, a different voucher etc. Google the name of your council and 'reusable nappy'.
- Google your area and 'nappuccino' - these are events where they give info, you can ask questions, and look at and hold reusables. They usually have dolls/bears to practise on too! These events will often tell you about the council scheme and any local nappy libraries. Plus any local nappy shops; the shops are usually very happy to explain the different options to you and some also hold their own events and demos.
- it doesn't have to be all or nothing, or jump right in from the start. You can get just a few bits, and once the newborn fog lifts slightly you could try one a day, see how they are. I was surprised at how quickly we got used to the reusable - took us max. 1 week to get into the swing of things, after 4 weeks I felt like an old pro!
There are a lot of different types of nappies, but it boils down to simply what you feel you would like and trialling it. I liked the idea of a wrap - so we have a waterproof outer covering (the wrap) which we then insert with fabric (either a nappy, as in cloth that goes on and attaches the same as a whole nappy but has no waterproof bit built in, or inserts, which we just put in the wrap. They don't fall out as there are 'flaps' in the wrap that keep it all together prior to putting it on DS). I liked these as they were generally cheaper, quicker to dry, and more variety for what I could stuff them with. What we have is known as birth to potty - basically the wraps have 3 rows of poppers, the smallest setting for when they're little and then can be expanded as they grow. DS is long and currently on the middle setting, the waist is still quite narrow, so there is a lot of growing room in them.
You can also get all in ones - basically you use it a bit like a disposable, everything is already contained in the nappy and you just put it on and go. When you change the baby the whole thing goes in the nappy pail. Pocket nappies are similar to all in ones, but they have a little opening so you can stuff them with whatever you like (think: pitta bread!), but it means drying is quicker as there is less bulk to dry when separated. You can get birth to potty (as above) or sized, which is a bit more tailored to certain weights. They still cover a large age however, as most nappies are size 1 or 2, with some 3s around.
Personally, we have the following:
10 Bumgenius Flip wraps
21 Flip Stay Dry inserts (this is already the size of the wrap and you just put it in as is)
6 Organic Night inserts (this is similar to a prefold, ie a thick square of fabric, it has lines sewn in to make folding easier, normally I just fold in 3 and stick it in the nappy. This is more absorbent, eg for long journeys, night times)
3 Tots Bots Bamboozle nappies size 2 (8-30lb, apparently) (this is a whole nappy, very absorbent, I put it on DS and put the Flip wrap over the top to keep it waterproof. I use these at night as he has just started becoming a heavier wetter at night)
5 Little Lambs 3 layer bamboo boosters (this is like a pad you put in the nappy/wrap, to increase absorption. I use it when we go out as sometimes we have to go longer between changes depending on where we go)
Total cost somewhere in the region of £200-23, less the £50 voucher from council means we have spent about £150-180 ourselves. A year of disposables cost us at least £250 so we're already saving, even more for future DC.
I change DS roughly every 3 hours, he goes 12-13 hours at night without leaks.
It looks like a lot, but here's something else to consider: have you ever read the boards and the constant 'which disposable to use?' debate? We trialled so many brands and wasted so much money before we even found a disposable that worked for DS! And once you have the disposable that's it really. You can't increase its absorportion, or poo containment - with reusables you get better results. DS could only manage in Pampers Baby Dry, day and night. Everything else leaked and/or chafed. Minimum £20/month on nappies, and that was getting a really good deal. He would still often leak at night, and runny poo always leaked. Just had a mega bout of teething (which always results in diarrhoea with DS) and not a drop of poo escaped our Flip wraps!
Sorry that I wrote so much 
But wanted to share the different bits of info that I have. Really don't stress about it - go to a nappuccino, take your time, ease yourself into it, and it will suddenly be much easier. Even if you used reusables for a bit, and changed your mind, the resale value is great (even better if you got them free from council!), and it would have been no more expensive than using disposables for that time. Nevertheless, most people stick with cloth!