I'm dealing with something similar right now! My partner is at week 6 of his PFL baby bonding and we were also hoping to extend it. After reading all these comments, it sounds like 8 weeks is definitely the hard limit. One thing that might help - I've heard some people mention that if your husband has any unused sick time or personal days, some companies will let you stack those on top of the PFL period. It's not additional paid family leave, but it could give you a few extra days to figure out the childcare situation. Also, with twins, you might want to look into whether there are any emergency childcare resources in your area - some counties have programs that can help with short-term placement while you're searching for permanent care. Good luck!

I'm going through something similar right now with my 3-month-old! The 8-week PFL limit is so frustrating, especially when you're dealing with childcare falling through at the last minute. One thing that helped us was contacting local parenting groups and mom/dad Facebook groups in our area - sometimes other parents know of reliable nannies or smaller daycares that might have openings. Also, if your husband's company has an employee handbook, it might be worth having him check if they offer any unpaid personal leave policies beyond what's legally required. Some smaller companies are more flexible than their HR departments initially let on, especially if he explains the childcare emergency situation. The worst they can say is no, but you might be surprised! And don't feel bad about being confused - the whole system of different leave types (PFL, CFRA, FMLA, etc.) is unnecessarily complicated and even HR departments get it wrong sometimes.

This thread has been super helpful! I'm also planning to transition out of my current job after my baby arrives, and I was worried I'd miss out on PFL benefits. The consensus seems clear - file your claim while still employed, even if you're planning to leave soon after. One thing I'd add based on my research: make sure you've been paying into SDI (State Disability Insurance) through your paycheck deductions. That's what funds the PFL program. You can check your paystubs to see if SDI is being deducted - it should show up as a small percentage of your wages. Also, for anyone still struggling to get through to EDD on the phone, I've had luck calling right when they open at 8am. The wait times are usually shorter first thing in the morning. Good luck to everyone navigating this system!

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm currently 8 months pregnant and planning to leave my job about a month after the baby arrives to be a stay-at-home parent. Based on all the advice here, it sounds like I need to file my PFL claim before my last day of work to maintain eligibility. One additional question - does anyone know if there's a minimum amount of time you need to actually work after filing the claim? Like, could I theoretically file the claim on my last day of work, or do I need to have filed it weeks in advance? I want to make sure I don't accidentally disqualify myself by cutting it too close timing-wise. Also, huge thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's so much more valuable than trying to decode the official EDD website! The tip about calling at 8am is definitely going in my notes.

One more important thing I forgot to mention - make sure you've been at your part-time job for at least a month before beginning your disability claim, if possible. While not technically required for benefits (since your previous job's earnings qualify you), it makes the transition much smoother if you've established yourself at the new workplace. Also, check if your new employer offers any additional maternity benefits, even for part-time employees. Some companies provide supplemental coverage beyond state benefits.

Just wanted to add my experience as someone who went through this exact situation 2 years ago! I was on UI, got a part-time job, then transitioned to disability for my pregnancy. A few things that really helped me: 1. Keep your UI certification current until you officially start disability - don't stop early "just in case" 2. When you file your disability claim, include a brief note explaining you're transitioning FROM unemployment TO disability (not trying to collect both) 3. Your part-time job actually worked in my favor because it showed I was actively working when I became disabled, which made the claim processing smoother The transition went pretty seamlessly for me, and like others mentioned, your benefit amount will be based on your previous full-time earnings, not the part-time job. The key is just being very clear about the timeline and not overlapping benefits. You've got this! And congrats on both the new job and the baby! 🎉

New member here! This thread has been so incredibly helpful as I'm planning my own return to work with intermittent PFL. I'm due in 6 weeks and want to get prepared early since I'll likely want to do a similar part-time schedule. One thing I'm wondering about that I haven't seen mentioned - does anyone know if there are any restrictions on WHICH days of the week you can take as PFL days? Like, could I theoretically do Wednesday/Thursday as my PFL days, or does it need to be consecutive days like Monday/Friday or Thursday/Friday? Also, for those who have done this - did you find that having mid-week PFL days vs end-of-week days made any difference for work continuity or your own adjustment? I'm trying to think through what schedule would work best for both bonding time and maintaining good relationships with my team when I return. Thanks in advance for any insights!

New member here! I've been lurking in this community for a while but finally decided to join after reading this incredibly helpful thread. I'm currently 8 months pregnant with my first and already stressing about how to balance returning to work with wanting to spend time with my baby. Reading everyone's experiences with intermittent PFL has been such a relief - I had no idea this was even an option! My job is pretty flexible and I think they'd be open to a part-time arrangement, but I was worried about the financial aspect of only working 2-3 days a week. @Giovanni Marino - your breakdown of the 40-day calculation was super helpful. If I understand correctly, taking PFL for 2 days a week would let me stretch the benefits over about 5 months? That seems like it could be a perfect transition period. @Dmitry Sokolov - I love your advice about calling EDD before filing online. Did you have any specific questions prepared, or did you just explain your situation and let them guide you through it? For those who've done this successfully, what was the hardest part about managing the intermittent schedule? I'm wondering if it's more challenging to context-switch between work days and bonding days, or if the variety actually makes it easier? Thanks to everyone for sharing such detailed experiences. This thread is giving me so much confidence that I can make this work! ✨

I'm also dealing with this right now with my 7-week-old! Just wanted to thank everyone for all the incredibly detailed advice in this thread - it's been a lifesaver. I was panicking about the mailing process after hearing horror stories about EDD delays, but reading all these recent success stories from other new parents has really calmed my nerves. I'm planning to follow the consensus advice: mail it tomorrow using Priority Mail with tracking, take photos of every page before sending, and check my EDD online portal in about 5 days for status updates. It's absolutely ridiculous that we still have to deal with paper-only submissions in 2025, especially when we're already running on no sleep with newborns, but at least we have this amazing community sharing real experiences and practical tips. The batch processing info and backup fax suggestion are game-changers! Thanks to everyone who took the time to share what they learned - you're all helping make this bureaucratic nightmare a little more manageable for sleep-deprived parents like us!

I'm currently on PFL for my 4-week-old and this entire thread has been such a godsend! As a first-time parent, I was completely lost trying to figure out this DE 2580GF situation. The EDD website is so confusing - it really does make it seem like there should be an online option when there isn't. After reading everyone's experiences, I feel so much more prepared to handle this. I'm going to use Priority Mail with tracking, take photos of everything, and set reminders to check my online portal. It's honestly shocking that in 2025 we're still mailing paper forms for something this important, especially when we're already dealing with sleep deprivation and newborn care. But seeing all these success stories from other new parents gives me hope that I can navigate this bureaucratic nightmare too. Thank you all for sharing your real experiences - this kind of community support is exactly what new parents need when dealing with government systems that seem designed to make everything as difficult as possible!