"My period is a non-event." An impassioned defence of the IUD, the superior birth control.

When my doctor first suggested I swap the contraceptive pill for a Mirena I grimaced. 

I had been on the pill for more than a decade. But for the past four years I had been in and out of hospital and specialist appointments trying to get to the bottom of constant, almost daily headaches, and erratic breakthrough bleeding.

I was over it. Majorly. But when I sat down with a new doctor who came recommended from a friend, and she immediately floated the idea of an alternative method of birth control as a possible solution, I winced. Leaving the safety net of what I knew, for something that felt so invasive and disruptive on both my time and body felt like a lot. So I told her I'd think about it.

'Thinning hair.'

'Fainting.'

'Non stop bleeding.'

'Mood swings bordering on psychotic.'

Look. The internet wasn't overly positive about the idea. In fact, it only compounded any fears I had. 

When I sat down for my follow up appointment I was armed with 'buts' and ready to give my doctor a big fat no thanks. 

But Google, as helpful as it is, it not a professional. My doctor listened and had answers for every single one of my sensationalised fears, and I ended up leaving that day with a referral to an abortion clinic to have an IUD fitted. Which I'll admit, was intimidating in itself. 

Having never had a baby before, my doctor informed me that my 'virgin womb' would require a day procedure where I'd be put under anesthetic for 10 minutes for insertion. That bumped up the price, and I ended up handing over around $300. 

But with the promise of five years protection, and not having to remember to take a pill every day, along with the possibilities it would help my bleeding and headaches, it felt worth it.

Watch: If your period was a person. Post continues after video.

Getting the insertion done at an abortion clinic was surreal, and there's no denying day one of the experience was truly horrible. There's just no sugar coating that fact. 

When I woke up I felt horrendous pain and the tiny little 'T' shaped contraption that now lived in my uterus felt like it was the size of a very bruised tennis ball. But a few hours after taking some strong painkillers and attaching myself to a heat pack it pretty quickly subsided, and I have never felt pain again. 

Like, ever.

12 months into life with a Mirena, I am here to passionately rebutt all of the negative reviews that nearly scared me away. Because for me, getting an IUD has been a game-changer.

My periods have practically disappeared, and so have my daily headaches. I've been able to go on trips away without that 'OMG, have I forgotten my pill?!' panic I'd become so accustomed to, and it's almost like my period has turned into a non-event. 

I still get the moodiness, the chin breakouts and the chocolate cravings, but once my period hits (if it even does) it's so light and so brief it barely bothers me.

When I'd been tossing up the idea initially, one of the reasons my doctor was so keen for me to ditch the pill was because of how long I had been on it.

After examining me she'd 'tut tutted' about the colour and elasticity of my skin. Apparently, the pill sucks all of that out of you and that's why "so many young women nowadays have painful sex," she told me.

She also asked if my sexual experiences felt muted or dulled at all in terms of sensation. 

Well. Wow. Turns out they had, I'd just had nothing to compare it to after being on the pill since becoming sexually active.

I was on the contraceptive pill for a decade, but I will never go back. Image: Getty.

Concerns that I've read online like "my partner swears he can feel the string??" and "I can't find the string!" have also been non-issues. 

My partner can't feel a damn thing, and if I really, really want to feel the 'string' that will eventually help a medical professional remove my Mirena, I can. It feels like a tiny little nobble at the top of my cervix. But as my doctor assured me I don't have to spend my days worrying that it's disappeared. It doesn't really have anywhere far to... go.

I have another four years of protection to go on my current Mirena, and if I decide to have a baby before then I simply have it removed and I am good to go. There's no waiting for my period to 'kick in' like on the pill. The day my Mirena is removed, I am fertile. For someone entering their 30s, that felt like another great unexpected side effect I didn't know enough about. 

I've already convinced two other people in my social circle to try a Mirena since I got mine, because I simply can't stop raving about it. 

Of course they don't work for everyone. But I really, really, don't want curious women who type 'should I get a Mirena?' into Google only seeing the horror stories. 

So here we are. Consider this my five star review, Google.

Have you tried the Mirena? What was your experience like? Let us know in the comments below.

For more from Gemma Bath follow her on Instagram or Twitter  @gembath.

Feature image: Getty.