E.F.
W.,
I'm so excited about your question. I thought I was alone! We use Motherease and love them. I will take your questions one by one but you're totally welcome to send me a message.
I looked at the Bumgenius and they seem nice too but I've no experience with them personally.
Motherease has the layers of fabric sewn in and a seperate cover. Bumgenius has a layer of fabric that you slip into a waterproof cover. As a result, BG is one piece and great for babysitters. Motherease is simpler to wash, will hold up longer and is more versital. Also, you have to disassemble (yuck!) the BG before washing.
I'm not sure about the cost but Motherease one-size works well from 10 pounds to about 25 pounds. The complete package has the extra thick liners (for night) and covers included. We had to buy a new set of covers every 3-4 months as he grew but they keep well and we'll use them again for our daughter. Now that my son is a big ole toddler we've invested in the large Sandy's diapers.
No, they don't leave red marks unless they're adjusted too tight. There actually very soft and breathable.
I would think ME would be softer since it's terry cloth against the baby's skin rather than synthetics.
I'm not sure but I think you would need the same amount of diapers for both because the BG cover gets soiled after one use, call to be sure. I only need 3-6 covers for the ME and that's generous.
I don't think hemp is as absorbant as cotton terry cloth. Hemp is has a big marketing push right now so be careful.
ME nighttime is amazing. Not one single leak ever.
I didn't like the way the cotton kept my sons skin wet so I got some microfleece and cut it into pieces the same size as the doublers. I layer it between the diaper and his skin. It wicks the urine right through but keeps his skin competely dry. I wash them with the diapers. Also, I sometimes use flushable diaper liners to make cleaning up poop easier.
I don't like the ME washing instructions. I prefer a dry pail method. Too much detergent will cause an ammonia odor. Rinse rinse rinse. I like line drying after a quick fluff in the drier. The ME hold up great. The BG polycoated fabric may be super special but it will never hold up as well as cotton in the wash.
However, you might have a few BG around for the babysitter and rely on ME most of the time. I've found 18-24 to be a good number of ME to have on hand. ME customer service is amazingly helpful. You can order just one ME and try it out before you invest in a lot of them. Also, they hold up so well that there is a big aftermarket for them on ebay. Get the bleached cotton, they absorb better after fewer washes.
Hope that helps.
E.