I second the wrap for the newborn stage; I had a woven (EllaRoo brand.)
There are 3 active babywearing groups in NJ and they can help you choose a carrier beyond those if you'll be able to get out to a meeting. (They've divided themselves by region - North, Central & South - but it's a fairly "vast" geographic area to work with.)
Beyond the newborn stage, I did just fine with the ErgoBaby, but I'm a "bigger" person. I'd also recommend the Pikkolo (with support belt) and Beco Gemini if you're narrower in the shoulder. The Gemini is kind of like what might happen if the Bjorn and the Ergo mated - it's got the ergonomic design of the Ergo with the FFO option and narrower body of the Bjorn (oh and the straps can be criss-crossed in the back for front carries like the Bjorn, though it's perfectly safe to do them backpack style like the Ergo) ... and the back-carry option of the Ergo.
You could also try the Beco Butterfly II, which has a built-in newborn insert & an internal harness that can allow baby to be passed between wearers without removing him/her from it. The babywearers like this carrier as well because you can move to a back carry with more confidence because of the internal harness.
And, yes, a back carry is actually better for a "bad" back than a front carry.
Last, may I recommend that you not do a facing-out carry at all? It screws up your center of gravity because Baby pulls away from you, so you curve your spine backwards to counteract it ... increasing pressure on your lower back - OUCH!
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Liz
DD (3/2010)
"Make mistakes! Get messy!" - Miss Frizzle