Hi Ava! I'm currently 28 weeks pregnant and also on SDI for severe morning sickness, so I completely understand your stress about this transition. Reading through everyone's responses has been incredibly helpful for me too! I wanted to add one thing that my doctor mentioned during my last appointment - she said to make sure you have your EDD claim number easily accessible when you go into labor. She's seen patients struggle to find their information when they're in pain or on medication, so having it written down and ready to go (maybe in your hospital bag with that awesome checklist Paloma shared) can save you from scrambling later. Also, my OB office told me they actually prefer when patients give them a heads up about needing the DE2501 form updated after delivery. They said it helps them prioritize getting it submitted quickly since they know it's time-sensitive for benefit payments. Thank you to everyone who shared their experiences! This community has been such a lifeline for navigating these confusing processes. Ava, it sounds like you're going to handle this transition like a pro with all this great advice! 🤗

Hi Ava! I just wanted to share my experience since I went through this exact transition about 8 months ago. I was on SDI for pregnancy complications and my baby arrived 3 weeks before my claim was supposed to end. The good news is that once you report the birth, EDD handles most of the transition automatically! I called them the day after delivery (my husband actually made the call while I was resting), and they immediately updated my claim from pregnancy disability to postpartum recovery. The weekly benefit amount stayed exactly the same. One thing that really helped me was keeping a simple folder with all my EDD paperwork, claim numbers, and contact info in my hospital bag. When you're sleep-deprived with a newborn, having everything organized makes such a difference! My doctor's office was amazing about submitting the updated forms quickly - they said they deal with this situation weekly and have it down to a routine. The whole transition was way smoother than I expected. You're asking all the right questions and clearly planning ahead, which puts you in such a good position. The fact that this is such a common situation means EDD has streamlined the process pretty well. Don't stress too much - you've got this! 🤗

Second update: My PFL claim was just approved! Only took 5 days to process. No gap in payments between SDI and PFL. For anyone reading this in the future - you definitely DON'T need to submit any recovery notification when transitioning from pregnancy disability to baby bonding. Just make sure you note on your PFL application that you're coming from SDI and include your claim number. Thanks everyone for your help!

Congrats on your successful transition! This is such helpful information for other parents going through the same process. I'm currently 8 months pregnant and planning ahead for my own SDI to PFL transition. It's reassuring to hear that it really can be seamless when done correctly. Did you have to submit any additional documentation beyond the DE2508 form, or was that all that was required? Also, did your employer need to do anything on their end during the transition?

I'm dealing with the exact same frustrating situation right now! My PFL baby bonding claim has been stuck for over 2 weeks and I'm getting nowhere with the regular phone lines. After reading through all these incredibly helpful responses, I'm planning to try the Tuesday 8:00 AM strategy using 1-877-238-4373 with the 1-1-2 sequence. The insider tips about listening for background noise during that 3-4 second delay and using specific language like "PFL baby bonding claim stuck due to employer date issue" are game-changers I never would have known about. It's both heartbreaking and reassuring to see so many other new parents struggling with this broken system when we should be focused on bonding with our babies instead of fighting bureaucracy. Thank you everyone for sharing what actually worked - this community support gives me hope that persistence will eventually pay off! Going to charge my phone, write down my questions, and commit to however many redials it takes this Tuesday morning. 🤞

I'm a new parent who just successfully got through to EDD PFL after weeks of trying! I used the Tuesday 8:00 AM strategy with 1-877-238-4373 and the 1-1-2 sequence that everyone's been recommending. It took 67 redials but I finally got through after listening for that background noise cue during the delay - that insider tip was absolutely crucial! My claim was stuck because my employer submitted the wrong transition date from pregnancy disability to baby bonding, just like so many others here. The rep was incredibly helpful and fixed it immediately - I should see payments within 5-7 business days. To anyone still struggling: download an auto-redial app, have your claim ID and baby's birth date ready, charge your phone fully, and DO NOT give up once you hear hold music no matter how long it takes. This thread gave me the exact roadmap I needed when I was desperate and overwhelmed. Thank you to everyone who shared what worked - your advice literally saved my family's financial situation! 🙏✨

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm a new parent (baby arrived last month) and I was completely overwhelmed trying to figure out the PFL system. Based on everyone's advice, I ended up taking 3 weeks initially, then I'm planning to take my remaining 5 weeks in two chunks - 3 weeks in the spring and 2 weeks in the summer when my partner has more availability to help. One thing I learned that might help others: when you're planning intermittent leave, it's worth having a conversation with your payroll department too, not just HR. They need to coordinate with EDD on the wage verification, and mine mentioned that having the dates planned out in advance makes their job much easier. Also, for anyone worried about the paperwork - yes, there are additional forms for each period, but it's not nearly as complicated as the initial claim. The "Notice and Request for Additional Period" form is pretty straightforward once you've been through the process once. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - it made navigating this whole system so much less stressful!

As someone who just went through this process last year, I can confirm that intermittent PFL for baby bonding is absolutely allowed! I took mine in three chunks: 3 weeks right after birth, 2 weeks when my partner went back to work, and then my final 3 weeks during the holidays when childcare was harder to arrange. A few practical tips that saved me headaches: - Submit your paperwork at least 3 weeks before you need each period to start (processing takes time!) - Keep a calendar specifically for tracking your PFL usage - it helps when filling out forms - If your employer uses a third-party leave administrator (like UNUM or MetLife), make sure they understand California's intermittent PFL rules too The 12-month window to use all 8 weeks gives you SO much flexibility. Just remember that your employer's policy might be more restrictive than EDD's, so definitely get that conversation with HR sorted out first. Good luck with your little one!

What your employer did is absolutely outrageous and completely illegal! You CANNOT be forced to "resign" when you never actually quit - that's textbook wrongful termination and pregnancy discrimination. YES, you can absolutely still file for PFL! I'm a benefits specialist and I see this confusion all the time. Your PFL eligibility is locked in based on your base period wages (the 5-18 months before your claim), NOT your current employment status. Since you successfully received SDI benefits, you've already proven you have the qualifying wage history for PFL. You've been paying into this system through every paycheck - those 8 weeks of baby bonding benefits belong to YOU. File your DE 2501F form TODAY - don't wait another minute! Their illegal "resignation" stunt has zero impact on your PFL benefits. Also, with 70+ employees, your company is absolutely required to provide CFRA job protection for baby bonding leave. What they did violates multiple laws. Document every detail of that phone call and file complaints with both DFEH and potentially the Department of Labor. Many employment attorneys handle pregnancy discrimination cases on contingency too. Don't let them intimidate you out of benefits you've already paid for! You deserve both your PFL money AND justice for their illegal actions. This community has your back - now go claim what's rightfully yours! 💪

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this awful situation! What your employer did is absolutely illegal - they can't just declare you "resigned" when you never actually quit. That's wrongful termination and likely pregnancy discrimination. But YES, you can definitely still file for PFL! Your eligibility is based on your base period wages (from when you qualified for SDI), not your current employment status. Since you already received SDI benefits, you've proven you have the qualifying wage history for PFL. You've been paying into this system through your paychecks - those 8 weeks of baby bonding benefits are yours regardless of what happened with your job. File your DE 2501F form immediately! Don't let their illegal actions cost you benefits you've already paid for. With 70+ employees, your company should have provided CFRA job protection, so definitely document everything about that phone call and consider filing a complaint with DFEH. As a new parent who went through similar employer retaliation, I know how overwhelming this feels. But you have rights and this community is here to support you. Focus on your baby and claim what's rightfully yours! 💕