Sometimes extensions get flagged for medical review if there's anything unusual about the extension request. I dealt with disability claims for 15 years (retired now) and pregnancy extensions were often delayed if the extension time requested went significantly beyond the standard recovery period for your type of delivery. For example, standard recovery for vaginal delivery is 6 weeks and C-section is 8 weeks. If you're requesting beyond that, they look more carefully at the medical necessity documentation. Unfortunately, EDD's staffing shortages mean these reviews take much longer than they should. Calling is definitely your best option, though frustrating. When you do get through, ask specifically if your claim needs additional medical documentation. If it does, have your doctor send it ASAP with your claim number clearly marked on all pages.

UPDATE: I finally got my payments! Used Claimyr this morning and got connected to an EDD rep in about 30 minutes. They confirmed my extension was approved but stuck in processing. The rep manually released all my payments while I was on the phone, and the money was in my account by this afternoon! So relieved and grateful for everyone's advice here. If anyone else is dealing with extension delays, definitely try to speak with an actual person - the online system doesn't seem to resolve these issues automatically.

my sister had this exact problem!!! the solution was she went back to urgent care and asked for the actual doctor who did her covid test, not just the front desk person. showed them the EDD website rules that says the diagnosing doctor has to sign it. she had to wait 2 hrs but eventually got it signed. good luck, the system is broken!!

Regarding transitioning directly from COVID disability to pregnancy disability: There's no required waiting period between claims if you genuinely can't return to work. However, your medical certifications need to accurately reflect your inability to work for each specific condition. Since you're 35 weeks pregnant, your timeline might look like: 1. COVID disability: Current date → approximately 10-14 days 2. Pregnancy disability: Could begin immediately after COVID disability ends if your OBGYN certifies you're unable to work due to pregnancy One important note: When filing the pregnancy claim, you'd submit a new application with your OBGYN's certification. In the application, indicate your previous COVID claim so EDD knows these are consecutive periods of disability for different medical conditions. Document everything carefully, especially any overlap between your COVID recovery and pregnancy disability start date.

have u tried applying for unemployment?? sometimes u can get that if ur not totally disabled but still cant do ur regular job

You've gotten great advice here already. Just wanted to share that I was in a somewhat similar situation with a different medical condition. What helped me bridge the gap was working with a disability rights advocate from the Legal Aid Society in my county. They helped me navigate the system and find emergency assistance programs I didn't know existed. Google "legal aid disability advocate" plus your county name. Many offer free services if you're low income. They can sometimes find solutions that regular social workers might miss.

When i had knee surgery last yer i got help from my church. Have you tried asking local churches? A lot of them have benevolence funds for people in the community even if your not a member. Worth a shot!

Important note about timing: Most rental assistance programs in Orange County take 3-4 weeks to process applications, so this won't solve your immediate 10-day problem. I'd recommend: 1. Talk to your landlord NOW about a formal payment plan (get it in writing) 2. Apply for emergency assistance through multiple agencies 3. Contact Orange County Legal Aid (714-571-5200) which has a tenant rights program that can help prevent eviction while you're securing assistance 4. File for UI immediately if you're able to work part-time The good news is that many landlords will work with you if you're proactive and transparent about your situation and have a clear plan.

When I had my baby in January I waited almost 3 weeks for payment because of missing doctor certification. Call your doctor AND call EDD (if you can get through). Sometimes the doctor sends it but EDD doesn't process it correctly. The whole system is confusing. Congrats on your baby though!

Just a final clarification since there's some confusion in this thread: You filed correctly by starting with SDI. For pregnancies that end in birth, the process works like this: 1. SDI for pregnancy disability (typically starts up to 4 weeks before due date for normal pregnancies, but earlier for complications like yours) 2. SDI continues for recovery after birth (6 weeks for vaginal delivery, 8 weeks for C-section) 3. After SDI ends, you apply for PFL for bonding time (up to 8 weeks) Your hospital stay and early delivery were absolutely covered under SDI. Your doctor needs to specify the correct dates including your hospitalization in their certification. If they're taking too long, request to speak with the office manager or medical records department directly.