This thread is incredibly helpful! I'm 29 weeks pregnant and was totally confused about the EDD timing until reading everyone's experiences here. My HR department gave me conflicting information, so getting real advice from people who've actually been through this process is invaluable. I love the detailed step-by-step breakdown everyone provided - SDI first for pregnancy disability (form DE2501), then PFL for baby bonding (form DE2508). The automatic transition option that @MoonlightSonata mentioned sounds perfect, and I'm definitely going to set up my online account this week. Quick question for those who've done this recently - when you applied for SDI, did you need any specific documentation beyond what your doctor provides? I want to make sure I have everything ready to avoid delays. Also, has anyone had experience with this process if you're planning to take the full 12 weeks of CFRA leave after your PFL ends? Thanks to everyone for sharing such practical advice. This community is amazing for cutting through all the confusing official guidance and getting real answers! 🙏

This thread has been absolutely incredible! I'm 31 weeks pregnant and have been stressing about the EDD process for weeks. My employer just handed me a pile of forms with zero explanation, and the official EDD website might as well be written in a foreign language. Reading through everyone's experiences has finally made this make sense - SDI first for pregnancy disability using form DE2501, then PFL for baby bonding using form DE2508. The fact that these are two completely separate applications with different timing was the missing piece I needed! I'm particularly grateful for the practical tips about setting up the online account early, coordinating with my doctor's office about their submission process, and keeping a calendar of all the deadlines. The mention of text notifications and the automatic transition option gives me so much hope that this doesn't have to be as stressful as I was imagining. One thing I'm wondering - for those who've been through this recently, did you find it helpful to contact EDD directly at any point to confirm your understanding of the process, or is it better to just follow the timeline and trust the system? I'm a bit of a worrier and want to make sure I don't miss anything important! Thank you all for sharing such detailed, real-world advice. This community support is exactly what expecting parents need when dealing with these confusing government systems! 🙏

I'm so sorry you're going through this incredibly frustrating situation! I just went through the exact same nightmare with my PFL claim when my daughter was born 2 months ago. Like so many others here, my claim got stuck in the SDI to PFL transition and I spent weeks trying to get through to someone. What finally worked for me was calling at exactly 8:00 AM on a Wednesday morning - I got through after about 35 minutes on hold. The representative discovered that my SDI and PFL claims weren't properly linked in their system (apparently this happens to a shocking number of claims) and she fixed it manually during our call. I received my first payment within 48 hours! A few tips that helped me: - Have everything ready: claim number, SSN, your baby's birth certificate number, and write down your specific questions - When you get someone on the line, ask them to check your "claim transition status between SDI and PFL" - Be specific that you need them to verify the claims are properly linked in their system - Put the call on speaker so you can tend to your baby while waiting If the phone route doesn't work after a few more attempts, definitely contact your state assembly member's office - they have dedicated staff for EDD issues who can file official inquiries that bypass the regular system. You're absolutely not alone in this struggle, and it's not your fault that EDD's systems are so broken. Your benefits are rightfully yours - don't let their dysfunction discourage you from fighting for what you've earned. Hang in there and keep us updated! 💪❤️

I'm going through this exact same frustrating situation right now! My baby is 4 weeks old and I've been waiting almost 3 weeks for my PFL benefits after being on pregnancy disability. Reading through all these comments has been so helpful - it's clear that the SDI to PFL transition is a major problem area in their system. I had no idea that the claims sometimes need to be manually linked! That explains why my claim has been stuck in "processing" with no explanation. I'm definitely going to try the 8am Wednesday calling strategy that so many people have had success with. I'll make sure to have my claim number, SSN, and baby's birth certificate number ready, and I'm going to write down that key phrase about asking them to check my "claim transition status between SDI and PFL." The financial stress of waiting for these benefits while caring for a newborn is overwhelming, especially when you're already sleep-deprived and trying to recover from childbirth. It's absolutely ridiculous that EDD's systems are this broken and that we have to become experts at navigating their dysfunction just to get benefits we've already paid into. Thank you to everyone who has shared their experiences and specific tips - this community has provided more useful information than anything on EDD's official website! I'll definitely update once I hopefully get through. Fingers crossed we all get our claims resolved soon! 🤞💙

Update: I tried the Claimyr service I mentioned earlier after multiple failed attempts to reach EDD on my own. Got connected to an agent in about 20 minutes and resolved my issue! The website is claimyr.com for anyone else struggling to get through. Definitely worth it for the time saved and stress reduction.

Congrats on getting through! This is such a helpful thread - I'm bookmarking it for future reference. The employer verification delay seems to be a really common issue based on what I'm seeing in other posts here. It's frustrating that they don't give you any visibility into what specific step is causing the delay. Did the agent mention anything about how long employer verifications typically take, or if there's a way to expedite them in the future?

I just completed this exact transition in late February 2025 and can confirm that everyone's advice about the 5-7 day window is absolutely correct! I applied for PFL on February 15th for my SDI ending February 22nd, with PFL starting February 23rd - zero payment gaps and completely smooth process. What worked perfectly for me: - Applied through SDI Online: "New Claim" > "Paid Family Leave" > "Bonding with new child" - Had baby's birth certificate ready as a clear PDF (kept file size under 3MB) - Took detailed screenshots of every page, especially the confirmation - Called EDD 48 hours after submitting to verify receipt (called at 8:05am and got through in about 45 minutes) One tip I haven't seen mentioned: when you're filling out the application, there's a field for "relationship to care recipient" - select "parent" for bonding with your newborn. It seems obvious but I second-guessed myself for a moment! Also, your benefit amount for PFL should be exactly the same as what you were receiving for SDI, so don't worry if that section looks confusing - the system calculates it automatically based on your existing claim. You're being incredibly smart by planning this out in advance! Most people wait until their SDI is about to end and then panic. Following this timeline that everyone has shared will set you up for success. That bonding time with your little one is absolutely precious and worth navigating all this EDD complexity. Congratulations on your new baby! 🍼💕

I just went through this exact same transition last month and can completely relate to the confusion! The timing really is tricky but everyone's advice here is spot-on. I applied for PFL exactly 6 days before my SDI ended and had zero payment gaps - totally seamless. Here's what worked for me: I applied on February 16th for my SDI ending February 22nd, with PFL starting February 23rd. Used the SDI Online portal under "New Claim" > "Paid Family Leave" > "Bonding with new child" and had my baby's birth certificate ready as a PDF. One thing that really helped was writing out the timeline on paper first - sometimes seeing those dates visually makes it less overwhelming when you're already exhausted from newborn life! Also definitely take screenshots of your confirmation page when you submit. For your situation, you should apply around February 15-17 for your SDI ending 2/22, with PFL starting 2/23. Don't overthink it - you're already ahead of the game by planning this out now instead of scrambling at the last minute like so many people do! The bonding time is absolutely worth all this paperwork stress. Congratulations on your little one! 💕

Congratulations on your new baby! I just want to add my recent experience to help reassure you. I'm currently on week 5 of PFL for baby bonding and can confirm what everyone else has said - the payments are completely automatic! Once your claim is approved, you'll receive payments every two weeks without having to certify or do anything else. I was so worried about this too because I kept second-guessing myself, thinking "this can't be this simple with EDD!" But it really is. My payments have come like clockwork every other Tuesday, and I literally just have to check my bank account to see them there. The contrast with unemployment benefits is amazing - no stress about missing deadlines or forgetting to certify when you're already sleep-deprived with a newborn. Just double-check that your direct deposit info is correct in your EDD account and save all your approval paperwork. Then you can focus on what really matters - enjoying these fleeting early days with your little one! The peace of mind of knowing the payments are truly automatic has been such a gift during this adjustment period. 💕

Congratulations on your baby! I just went through this same confusion when I started my PFL leave last month. Everyone here is absolutely right - PFL payments are completely automatic once approved! No weekly certifications needed like with unemployment. I was so paranoid about missing something that I actually called EDD twice in my first week just to confirm, but sure enough, the payments have been coming every two weeks without me having to do anything. It's such a relief when you're already juggling sleepless nights and figuring out life with a newborn. Just make sure your bank account info is current in your EDD profile and keep all your documentation. The EDD website really should make this clearer - I spent way too much time stressing about it when I could have been sleeping! Enjoy these precious early weeks with your little one! 💕