'easy' carrier suitable with back pain/sciatica?

[sillyily]

hello, due dc2 in April and am looking for a good baby carrier. I had a sling with dc1, (baby bjorn I think) but as he was so big, it always felt as though he was falling out, and it also killed my back! I have quite bad sciatica at the moment, that comes and goes, so am looking for something that would spread the weight so as to not target one area of my back. Also, with a very hyperactive 29mo, I need something that can literally be on and off in seconds (the baby bjorn sling was brill for this...) I think I want a more upright carrier, as opposed to a lay down sling type, that can be changed from back facing to front. And also something that doesn't break the bank would be preferable :) (and something dp would wear!!) TIA :)

A couple of options:

1. A stretchy wrap
2. A soft structured carrier (buckles)

Pros and cons to each:

Stretchy wrap - lovely and snuggly for a newborn. Takes a little time to tie but once it is on you can pop the baby in and out as needed without re-tying. Downsides - some brands can be hot in summer and it won't be supportive enough for say an 18 month old....brands like Moby/Kari-Me etc tend to be good until about 6-ish months, brands like Wrapsody to more like a year or more. But you can always buy 2nd hand and sell on when you're done.

Soft structured carrier - Can be used front and back. Fastens quickly with buckles. Not all suitable from newborn so check carefully. Some also hot in summer with newborn (e.g. the Ergo has a thick warm insert for use with a newborn which is rubbish for summer IMO). Not nearly as snuggly as a stretchy wrap but will last longer as they get older.

In a perfect world I'd get both (you can pick up stretchies like a Moby, Kari-Me, Boba Wrap, Sleepy Wrap, Hug-a-bub for about £10-20 on ebay....the buckles will cost rather more.

For buckles suitable from newborn but that will last to toddlerhood have a look at the Manduca or Connecta. The former is more supportive, with a padded waistband that transfers more weight to your hips, and hence will last longer better. Connecta is cheaper though

Meant to add if you're near a sling meet or sling library it's a great way to pop along and try some things out to see what works for you or you like the look of. www.slingmeet.co.uk

fab advice, thanks. Think i will try and get both, second hand. Been looking at Mei Tai joey sling... Is that any good do you know?
Also... probably a stupid question... is Mei Tai a brand... or a style??

Mei tai is a style (based on traditional Asian carrier) rather than a brand. There is a huge variety in terms of quality - from fantastic carriers to downright unsafe. But Joey Sling have a decent reputation. Just beware of non-branded ones...I've had people bring things to the sling library I run that I would never want to put a child in. If you want DH-friendly but also interesting design-wise mei tais tend to be reversible, so you can usually have one patterned side and one DH-friendly plain one! For buying new I really like Melkaj (there are a couple of UK vendors who stock them, or you can buy direct from the maker in Poland). There are also lots of 2nd hand options on www.naturalmamas.co.uk for sale boards. I would get a mei tai with a padded waistband and shoulder straps, as it is more supportive as your little one gets older.

Brill - Thanks so much for your help! :)