Will do! I'm meeting with him tomorrow morning. I've already started filling out the PFL application for caregiving benefits and my wife's doctor is helping with the medical certification. Feeling much more confident now that I understand my options better. Thanks everyone for the support and information!

Best of luck tomorrow! You're doing the right thing by standing up for your family. Just remember - you're not asking for a favor, you're exercising your legal rights. If your boss gives you pushback, stay calm and stick to the facts about CFRA and PFL. Document the conversation in writing afterward too. Your wife and baby are lucky to have someone who's willing to fight for them. Keep us posted on how it goes!

It's a delicate situation for sure. You could approach it as a collaborative conversation rather than a demand - something like \

Congratulations on your pregnancy! I went through something similar two years ago as a freelance graphic designer. Here's what I learned that might help: Since you're already 8 weeks along, the EDD Elective Coverage won't work for this pregnancy due to the 6-month waiting period. BUT - definitely still apply for it now for future coverage. It's been a lifesaver for me since then for other medical issues. A few other things to explore immediately: - Contact your local Women, Infants & Children (WIC) office - they sometimes have resources or can point you to emergency assistance programs - Look into California's State Disability Insurance if you've had ANY W-2 income in the past 5 quarters (even part-time work counts) - Check if you qualify for Medi-Cal pregnancy coverage - income limits are higher when you're pregnant - Some counties have their own paid leave pilot programs that might have different eligibility Also, start documenting everything about your work arrangement NOW. Keep all contracts, invoices, emails about work expectations. As others mentioned, if there's any chance you're misclassified, that could open up regular SDI/PFL benefits. Don't panic - there are more options than it seems at first! Feel free to DM me if you want to chat more about navigating this as a freelancer.

btw i had my baby 3 months ago and the transition from SDI pregnancy disability to PFL baby bonding was another nightmare with the website... make sure you file the baby bonding claim the day after your pregnancy disability ends or you might have a gap in payments like i did!!

I'm so glad you got it working with Microsoft Edge! I've been lurking here for a while and this EDD login nightmare seems to be affecting so many people. I'm expecting my first baby in June and honestly these stories have me terrified about dealing with EDD when the time comes. Quick question - for those who successfully got through, did you notice any issues with claim status updates or payment delays after the system update? I keep hearing mixed things about whether the backend issues are affecting actual benefit processing or just the login portal. Also @Keith Davidson thanks for the heads up about the SDI to PFL transition timing! That's exactly the kind of detail they don't tell you anywhere official but could save weeks of headaches.

make sure u file ur claim as soon as ur doctor says u can go out! u get 4 weeks b4 ur due date for the pregnancy disability. and then 8 weeks after for baby bonding if u had c section (or 6 weeks if regular delivery). but DONT file the baby bonding part until after u have the baby - i made that mistake and had to start over lol

Congrats on baby #2! 🎉 Just wanted to add that if you run into any issues logging into your old account, don't panic. Sometimes the system locks you out after being inactive for so long. I had this happen and had to call the technical support line (different from the claims line) to get it unlocked. The number is 1-833-978-2511 and they were actually pretty helpful with account access issues. Also, once you're in, double-check that your direct deposit info is still correct - mine had somehow gotten cleared out over the years and I almost had my first payment sent as a paper check which would have delayed things even more. Good luck with everything!

btw my cousin had this same problem and they backdated her claim after she finally reached someone! so don't give up - keep calling until u reach a real person who can fix it!! u deserve those benefits!!!

I went through a very similar situation last year! The key thing to understand is that when you marked "recovered" on that certification, EDD automatically closed your SDI claim - even though you were entitled to the full 6 weeks post-delivery. This is a super common mistake because the forms are confusing. Here's what worked for me: Call EDD and specifically ask to speak with someone about "reopening a prematurely closed SDI claim due to certification error." Use those exact words. They can usually fix this and backdate your payments. One tip that helped me get through faster: Try calling the main number (1-800-480-3287) but press 1 for English, then 2 for employee, then 4 for disability insurance. Sometimes this routing gets you to someone faster than the PFL-specific line. Once your SDI is properly closed after the full 6-week recovery period, you can seamlessly transition to PFL for baby bonding. Don't let them tell you it's "too late" - you have rights here! Good luck and congratulations on your baby!