I'm new to this community but wanted to share my experience since I literally just went through this exact situation! I was terminated while on disability for postpartum complications, and I was absolutely panicking about whether I'd still be able to get my baby bonding benefits. The great news is YES - you can absolutely get baby bonding PFL after termination! Your eligibility is based on your work history during the base period (5-18 months before your claim), not your current employment status. I just successfully transitioned from disability to PFL last week without any issues. Here's what worked for me: I filed my DE2508 form online about 2 weeks before my disability was scheduled to end. The most important thing was making sure my doctor put a very specific end date on the final medical certification - EDD needs that clear date to process the transition smoothly. I also made sure to specify that I wanted my PFL to start the day after my disability ended, which prevented any gaps in payments. One tip I learned the hard way - take screenshots of your entire EDD account before starting the transition! Some of my payment history temporarily disappeared during the switch, and having those screenshots saved me when I needed to reference past information. Don't let your employer intimidate you about your benefits. You've paid into this system through your paychecks - these are YOUR earned benefits, regardless of your employment status when you file. I know how scary this feels when you're recovering and caring for a newborn, but the system does work. You're being so smart by planning ahead and asking these questions. Sending you support during this challenging time! 💕

I'm a new member here and just wanted to say how incredible this community is! Reading through all these responses has been so educational - I had no idea about many of these details regarding PFL eligibility after termination. As someone who might face a similar situation in the future (I'm currently pregnant and work for a small company), I'm taking notes on all the practical tips shared here, especially about timing the DE2508 form submission, getting specific end dates from doctors, and taking screenshots of EDD accounts before transitions. The consistent message that you've EARNED these benefits through your payroll deductions is so important for people to understand. It's awful that employers sometimes try to make employees feel like they're not entitled to benefits they've literally paid for. @Elijah Knight - I hope your transition goes smoothly! It sounds like you have a solid plan now based on all the excellent advice here. Wishing you and your little one all the best during this challenging time. You've got this! 💪

This whole thread has been a lifesaver! I'm dealing with the exact same situation - took 4 weeks of bonding leave when my daughter was born in April, had to go back for a product launch, and now I want to use my remaining 4 weeks before her first birthday. Reading everyone's detailed experiences gives me so much confidence that I can actually make this work. I'm definitely going to call 1-877-238-4373 tomorrow at 8:05 AM with my claim number and all my documents organized. @Victoria Jones @Jacinda Yu @Alejandro Castro thank you all for sharing such specific details about your calls - it's incredibly helpful to know this process actually works! One quick question for anyone who's done this - when you reactivated your claim, did the agent ask for any additional documentation beyond your claim number and basic verification info, or was it pretty straightforward once they had your original claim details? I want to make sure I have absolutely everything ready before I call tomorrow morning!

This thread has been absolutely incredible - thank you everyone for sharing such detailed experiences! I'm in almost the identical situation: took 6 weeks of PFL bonding leave when my son was born in February, had to return early for a critical project, and now I want to use my remaining 2 weeks before his first birthday. Based on all the success stories here, I'm definitely calling 1-877-238-4373 tomorrow morning at exactly 8:05 AM with my claim number ready. @Victoria Jones @Jacinda Yu @Alejandro Castro your step-by-step experiences have given me so much confidence this will actually work! Quick question - I found my claim number in my EDD account under "Claim History" like @Alejandro Castro mentioned, but I'm seeing both a "Claim Number" and a "Confirmation Number" - which one should I have ready for the call? Also, for anyone who's done this recently, are you finding the 8:05 AM timing is still working well for getting through, or have wait times gotten longer? I really want to make sure I get this sorted out at least 3-4 weeks before I plan to take my remaining time off!

I'm 21 weeks pregnant and just discovered this amazing thread while searching for help with my own workplace situation! Reading through everyone's stories has been incredibly validating - I thought I was going crazy dealing with my manager's subtle comments about my "changing priorities" and the way they've been gradually shifting my responsibilities to other team members "to reduce my stress." I've been experiencing terrible anxiety, frequent headaches, and my blood pressure readings have been concerning at recent appointments. Like so many of you mentioned, I kept thinking this was just normal pregnancy stress, but seeing all these similar experiences makes me realize this is actual workplace discrimination causing real health complications. What's given me the most hope from this thread is understanding that SDI and PFL are insurance programs we've paid into - not handouts we're asking for. I had no idea that benefits could be based on medical necessity regardless of whether you quit voluntarily. This completely changes how I'm thinking about my options! I'm scheduling an appointment with my OB this week to discuss how workplace stress is manifesting in my physical symptoms and to get proper documentation. Based on everyone's advice, I'm going to be very specific about when these symptoms started and their connection to the discrimination I've been experiencing. Thank you all for sharing your journeys so openly - you've shown me that I don't have to endure months more of this toxicity just because I'm pregnant. This community is proof that we have more power and options than we realize when we support each other with knowledge and solidarity! 💪

I'm 26 weeks pregnant and just found this thread - what an incredible resource! I've been dealing with a manager who keeps making "concerned" comments about whether I can handle my workload and has been mysteriously reassigning my major projects to colleagues while giving me mindless data entry tasks. The stress has been causing me to have panic attacks and my doctor noted elevated blood pressure at my last two visits. Reading everyone's experiences has been so eye-opening - I had no idea that workplace pregnancy discrimination was this common or that we had these options through SDI and PFL! I always thought if you quit voluntarily, you lost all benefit eligibility, but learning that medical necessity is what matters for disability benefits changes everything. I'm scheduling an emergency appointment with my OB this week to discuss how the workplace stress is affecting my pregnancy and to get proper medical documentation. Based on all the advice here, I'm going to be very specific about the panic attacks, elevated BP, and sleep issues that started after the discriminatory treatment began. Thank you all for sharing your stories so bravely - this thread has shown me that I don't have to sacrifice my baby's health for a toxic job. It's incredible how this community has transformed what felt like an impossible situation into one where I actually understand my rights and have real options. You've all given me the courage to prioritize what really matters! 🙏

Protip: If you can, try calling right when they open. I got through pretty quick that way. Also, be super nice to the person who answers - they deal with angry people all day and being kind can go a long way!

I went through this exact process about 6 months ago! Here's what worked for me: call first thing in the morning (around 8:05 AM), have your social security number and original claim details ready, and don't hang up even if you get that "high call volume" message. Also, if your situation hasn't changed much from your original claim, mention that upfront - it seemed to speed things up for me. The whole process took about 10 days once I got through to someone. You got this! 💪

Anyone else feel like we need to start a petition or something to get the government to fix this mess? It's not fair that we have to jump through so many hoops just to get the benefits we're entitled to.

Wow, this whole thread is so relatable! I'm currently on week 4 of trying to get my PFL claim processed and it's been absolutely exhausting. The fact that we have to resort to paying third-party services just to talk to someone at our own state agency is honestly insane. I've been hesitant about using those calling services because I wasn't sure if they were legit, but hearing multiple people confirm they work is really helpful. At this point, $20 seems like a small price to pay for my sanity. Thanks for sharing your experience @Jungleboo - gives me hope that there's actually a light at the end of this tunnel! 🤞