In the first trimester, when it was believed that the procedure was safer than childbirth, the Court left the decision to abort completely to the woman and her physician.[36] From approximately the end of the first trimester until fetal viability, the state's interest in protecting the health of the mother would become "compelling."[37] At that time, the state could regulate the abortion procedure if the regulation "reasonably relate[d] to the "preservation and protection of maternal health."[38] At the point of viability, which the Court believed to be in the third trimester, the state's interest in "potential life" would become compelling, and the state could regulate abortion to protect "potential life."[37] At that point, the state could even forbid abortion so long as it made an exception to preserve the life or health of the mother.[39]