Is it safe to have sex in the third trimester?

Yes, if you're having a healthy, normal pregnancy, sex is safe – although as your third trimester progresses and you get bigger, you may have to be creative about your positioning during sex to avoid discomfort.

On the other hand, sex may not be safe during the third trimester in certain circumstances, including these:

• Your placenta covers all or part of your cervix (placenta previa). With placenta previa, if the penis comes in contact with the cervix or you have contractions as a result of orgasm, it can traumatize the placenta and cause bleeding that's significant enough to endanger the pregnancy.
• You have vaginal bleeding.
• Your water has broken. Once this happens, your baby is no longer protected against infection.
• You have or have had premature ("preterm") labor.
• You have cervical insufficiency.

Editor's note: Learn more reasons you might have to say "no" to sex at various stages of pregnancy.