I'm going through this exact same situation right now! Just wanted to share that I called the PFL number (1-877-238-4373) this morning at 8:05 AM following @Victoria Jones and @Jacinda Yu's advice and got through after about 40 minutes on hold. The agent was really helpful and confirmed that you absolutely do NOT need to file a new claim - they can reactivate your existing baby bonding claim for the same child. They asked for my claim number (which I found in my EDD online account under "Claim History"), verified my info, and reactivated it in literally 5 minutes. They did ask for approximate dates when I want to take my remaining weeks, but said I can always call back to adjust if my work schedule changes. The agent also confirmed there's no waiting period since it's a continuation of the same bonding period. Really glad I found this thread - saved me so much confusion! For anyone planning to call, definitely have your original claim documents and claim number ready, and try that 8:05 AM timing. It really does seem to make a difference in wait times.

This thread has been SO helpful! I'm in the exact same boat - took 6 weeks of bonding leave when my son was born in February, went back to work for a project, and now want to use my remaining 2 weeks before his first birthday. Based on all the success stories here, I'm definitely going to try calling 1-877-238-4373 tomorrow morning at 8:05 AM sharp with my claim number and documents ready. It's such a relief to hear from multiple people that this actually works and doesn't require filing a new claim. @Victoria Jones @Jacinda Yu @Alejandro Castro thank you all for sharing your experiences! One quick question - for those who successfully reactivated, did you notice any difference in how the weekly certifications worked compared to your original claim, or was the process exactly the same once reactivated?

This thread is absolutely incredible! As someone who's currently on week 3 of PFL and was stressing about whether to take my remaining 5 weeks consecutively or risk "losing" them, reading everyone's detailed experiences has been such a relief. The intermittent approach sounds perfect for what I need - a gradual transition back to work while still maximizing precious bonding time with my little one. I'm blown away by the level of practical detail everyone has shared, from @Danielle Mays' breakdown of how benefits are calculated to @Sayid Hassan's honest warning about potential system issues. The recurring themes seem clear: be incredibly specific with dates, document everything meticulously, and don't hesitate to be proactive with EDD communication. Based on all the advice here, I'm planning to call EDD this week to discuss my intermittent plan and get those crucial notes added to my file. I'm thinking of taking every Friday off for the next 5 weeks, which would give me those wonderful long weekends for bonding while still maintaining momentum at work. The tip about taking screenshots of account balances is genius - definitely doing that! And I love the spreadsheet idea for tracking all communications. It's clear that success with intermittent PFL really comes down to being organized and proactive. Thank you to everyone for sharing such honest, detailed experiences. This community is providing the real-world guidance that's impossible to find anywhere else! Can't wait to see @Cole Roush's update on how the certification process goes. 🙏💙

This thread has been absolutely invaluable! I'm currently 8 months pregnant and have been researching PFL options extensively, but finding real experiences like these has been incredibly difficult until now. The level of detail everyone has shared about intermittent PFL is exactly what I needed to hear. I'm particularly struck by the consistent advice about being extremely specific with certification dates and the importance of proactive communication with EDD. The warning about potential system glitches from @Sayid Hassan is eye-opening, but it's reassuring to see that these issues can be resolved with persistence and the right approach. Based on everything I've read here, I'm already planning to use intermittent PFL for my last few weeks of benefits. The idea of taking 1-2 days per week to gradually transition back to work while maintaining bonding time sounds perfect for my situation. I'm definitely going to implement the strategies mentioned here: keeping detailed records, taking screenshots of my account, and getting proactive notes added to my EDD file. One thing I'm curious about - for those who've done intermittent PFL successfully, did you find that having a support network at work (understanding colleagues, supportive manager) made a significant difference in how smoothly the process went? I'm thinking about how to best prepare my team for my eventual intermittent schedule. Thank you to everyone for being so generous with sharing your knowledge and experiences. This thread should honestly be a required reading resource for all California parents planning PFL! Really hoping @Cole Roush and @Luca Esposito keep us updated on their certification experiences. 🙏💙

I'm currently 8 months pregnant and this entire thread has been SO incredibly helpful for understanding the SDI to PFL transition! Reading through everyone's real experiences is way more valuable than the confusing official EDD information. I've been taking notes on all the tips shared here - especially about applying for PFL 5-9 days before disability ends, having documents ready (birth certificate/hospital papers), and writing down the new PFL claim number. One question I haven't seen addressed - for those who had C-section extensions like the original poster, did your employer give you any trouble about the extended leave time? I'm worried my HR department might not understand that medical extensions beyond the standard 8 weeks are legitimate and doctor-approved. Did anyone have to provide additional documentation to their employer, or does the EDD approval handle that part? Thank you all for creating such a supportive and informative discussion! As a FTM, navigating these benefits feels so overwhelming, but this community makes it feel totally doable.

As someone who went through this exact situation 8 months ago, I can confirm you've handled everything perfectly! Your doctor submitting the extension paperwork online and you updating your return-to-work date during certification are the two key steps. Just a heads up - even though your account shows "extension processing," keep an eye on your payment status over the next week or two. Sometimes there can be small delays while they update the system, but as long as you keep certifying when prompted, any delayed payments will be retroactive. For your PFL baby bonding transition, I'd recommend applying around May 5th (exactly one week before your new disability end date). Have your baby's birth certificate and ID ready to upload. The application will ask for your normal work schedule even though you're on leave - just enter what your schedule was before you went on disability. One thing that really helped me was creating a simple checklist: 1) Monitor SDI extension processing, 2) Apply for PFL on May 5th, 3) Save new PFL claim number, 4) Continue certifying for both claims as needed. Having it written down made the whole process feel much less overwhelming during those sleep-deprived newborn days! You're doing an amazing job navigating this system as a new parent. The fact that you're planning ahead shows you'll handle the transition smoothly!

Had the EXACT same issue with my wife's maternity leave last year! The EDD website is so poorly designed - it's like they want people to file the wrong forms. What helped us was calling first thing in the morning (around 8:01 AM) when the phone lines open. Way better chance of getting through than calling later in the day. Also, if you get disconnected, call right back immediately - sometimes you get lucky and slip through. For the birth certificate, definitely mail it certified with your husband's SSN written clearly in the top right corner. We learned the hard way that regular mail sometimes gets "lost" in their system. One more tip - keep detailed notes of every call including agent names and confirmation numbers. EDD reps sometimes give conflicting info and having documentation helps if you need to escalate later. The good news is once you get the right form (DE2508) submitted with proper documentation, the PFL benefits are actually pretty reliable. Just getting past their terrible intake process is the hard part!

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm dealing with a similar situation right now - submitted what I think was the wrong form for my paternity leave about 2 weeks ago and keep getting confusing messages from the EDD automated system. Reading everyone's experiences, it sounds like the key things are: 1. Call early in the morning (8:01 AM) and ask specifically for "Paid Family Leave department" 2. Use the magic phrase: "I need to withdraw an incorrect disability claim and file a new baby bonding PFL claim" 3. Get a withdrawal confirmation number 4. Submit DE2508 (NOT DE2501) with birth certificate and clear documentation One question for those who've been through this - when you called to withdraw the incorrect claim, were you able to do that and file the new claim in the same phone call? Or did you have to wait for the withdrawal to process before submitting the DE2508? Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences - this is exactly the kind of real-world guidance that the EDD website completely fails to provide!

This thread is amazing! I'm 28 weeks pregnant with my first baby and had been putting off researching the SDI process because it seemed so overwhelming. Reading through everyone's real experiences has made it so much clearer than any official website. I'm especially grateful for the timeline breakdown - knowing that first payment won't come for about 3 weeks after starting leave is crucial for budgeting. I was definitely planning wrong and would have been in trouble financially if I hadn't learned about that unpaid waiting week! Quick question for anyone who's been through this: do you recommend applying for SDI right when you go out on leave, or is there any advantage to applying a bit earlier? My doctor said she can provide the medical certification whenever I need it, but I'm not sure about the optimal timing for submitting the claim. Also, has anyone had experience with their employer trying to make them use vacation/sick days during that unpaid waiting week? My company mentioned something about this but I want to understand my rights before having that conversation with HR. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences - this is exactly the kind of practical information that expectant parents need! I feel so much more prepared now.

This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm 35 weeks pregnant and just realized I need to get serious about understanding the SDI process. Reading through everyone's experiences has been so eye-opening - especially about that unpaid waiting week that nobody warns you about! I have a couple of questions that I haven't seen addressed yet: 1. Does the timing change at all if you go into labor early or late? Like if my due date is April 15th but baby comes April 1st, does that affect when my SDI claim should start? 2. For those who had complicated deliveries or longer hospital stays, did that impact your payment timeline at all? I'm hoping for a straightforward delivery but want to be prepared just in case. Also, I keep seeing references to form DE2508 for the PFL claim - is this something I can download and fill out ahead of time, or do I need to wait until closer to when I'll need it? Thank you all SO much for sharing your real experiences. The official EDD information is so confusing, but reading how it actually works in practice from people who've been through it is invaluable. I'm definitely going to start that calendar tracking system someone mentioned and get my direct deposit set up ASAP!