I have never personally used this method of birth control, so I cannot be of much help. I am certain you will hear from some other ladies here though. I also thought I would recommend posting this question on the Birth Control Forum.
http://www.medhelp.org/forums/Birth-Control-Contraception-/show/260
You are more then welcome to post here, it's just this forum is primarily used for women over 35 that are either pregnant or trying to become pregnant. You might have a little more luck on the forum above. Good luck to you.
I have a copper iud right now and I love it.. my cramps aren't that bad but the first 2 days I do have a very heavy flow. I would recommend it for anyone that wants bc...
I've had a copper IUD for the past 5 years; inserted when I was 23. I too, have no children and didn't like the side effects from hormonal birth control (the pill, nuva ring).
My periods did become much more painful after I got the copper IUD. I cope with them by using Thermacare heat wraps (they last about 12 hours and are thinner than a menstruation pad and therefore undetectable under clothing). I also use a higher dose of ibuprofen, per my doctor's recommendation--but please check with your provider first. The first six months were no picnic, and I thought about removing it, but I'm glad I stuck with it. I'd rather deal with cramps than mood swings and fear of missing a pill.
Best of luck to you--I'd appreciate hearing what you decided to do.
I would just use condoms. I've heard bad things about iud like infertility and painful periods. It just seems unnatural to me.