Pubic symphysis pain nearly stopped me teaching in my first pregnancy! I was told to stop stretching because it was framed as an 'over-stretch' problem. But in my second pregnancy, I learned it wasn't about stretching less — it was about stretching the right muscles and evening out the imbalanced pelvis.
Three self-management stretches got me through — without a support belt or regular Panadol.
What is SPD?
Pubic symphysis dysfunction (SPD) is pain at the joint where your left and right pelvic bones meet at the front. Pregnancy hormones — relaxin, specifically — soften that joint to prepare your body for birth. But it doesn't always loosen evenly. When one side loosens more than the other, the joint moves more than it should, and that extra movement is what causes the inflammation and pain.
It's not damage, and it's not a sign your body is failing you. It's an imbalance — and imbalances can be worked with.
How it showed up for me
In my first pregnancy, I had sharp pain in my left pubic bone that got worse with any asymmetrical movement — especially standing on one leg, which, as a teacher, I do constantly. I was given a support belt, told to take anti-inflammatories, and told to stop stretching altogether because it was framed as an "over-stretch" problem.
In my second pregnancy, I learned that wasn't quite right. It wasn't about stretching less — it was about stretching the right muscles and evening out the imbalanced pelvis. Once I started releasing the tighter side specifically, instead of avoiding movement altogether, it became manageable.
1. Adductor release
Adductor Stretch (Parivrtta Supta Padangusthasana)
Lying on your back, place a yoga belt around one foot and guide that leg out to the side. Keep the pelvis square — no twisting or shifting — anchor the opposite leg down, and maintain a neutral spine throughout.
2. Ball release (SI joint & QL)
Tools: a tennis, golf, or massage ball
Lie face up on the floor and place the ball under your lower back. Start at the SI joint and roll to find the tender spots, then work up through the area between the top of your pelvis and the bottom of your rib cage, staying close to the spine — that's your QL (quadratus lumborum). To check in or intensify the release, hug the same-side knee into your chest, which adds more pressure into the ball.
3. Psoas release on a bench or bed
Position: supine (face up) on a bench or bed
Lie on your back at the edge of a bench or bed, with one leg hanging off toward the floor and the other knee drawn in. Either hold that knee into your chest, or — if you're more flexible — loop a yoga belt around the foot and extend it toward the ceiling for a deeper hamstring stretch. Let the hip flexor of the lowered leg release open; play with straightening or bending that leg to change the intensity.
What else helped
Alongside these three stretches, two other things made a real difference on long teaching days: compression leggings for the extra pelvic and lumbar support while standing and demonstrating for hours, and belly taping for load support when I was on my feet all day.
A note before you try these
This isn't medical advice, just what worked for me. Every SPD presentation is different, so please see a women's health physio for your own diagnosis and plan. If anything here increases your pain, stop and check in with a professional.
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