Congrats on your baby and glad to hear your claim finally went through! I'm a new parent myself and just submitted my PFL baby bonding claim last week. Reading through all these experiences is both reassuring and nerve-wracking - it sounds like the 3-4 week wait is pretty standard right now despite what their website says. One question for anyone who's been through this recently - did you get any kind of confirmation or notification when your status changed from pending to approved, or do you just have to keep checking the portal daily? I'm trying to figure out if I should set up some kind of daily reminder to check or if they'll actually let me know when something changes. Also @Malik Jackson thanks for mentioning the Claimyr service - I hadn't heard of that before but might be worth trying if mine gets stuck too long. The regular EDD phone line seems impossible to get through on.

I'm currently in week 2 of waiting for my PFL baby bonding claim to process after my little one was born last month. Reading through everyone's experiences here is honestly such a relief - I was starting to panic that I'd done something wrong with my application! It's so frustrating that the EDD website still claims 14 days when clearly everyone is experiencing 3-4+ weeks. I've been checking the portal obsessively every morning hoping to see a status change. My SDI pregnancy benefits ended right before I submitted the PFL claim, so like many others here, I'm in that stressful income gap period. One thing I noticed that might help others - when I submitted my claim, I made sure to keep screenshots of everything showing my documents were "received" in the portal. After reading about some people having issues with document uploads, I'm glad I have that backup proof just in case. Thanks to everyone sharing their timelines and tips! It helps knowing this is just how slow the system is right now and not a problem with individual claims. Will definitely keep the Claimyr service in mind if I hit the 3-week mark with no movement.

Hey Simon! Congrats on your baby boy! 🎉 I just went through this exact situation 6 months ago - emergency C-section at 36 weeks when I was supposed to have 3 more weeks of pregnancy disability left. The good news is your disability automatically continues after delivery! Since you had a C-section, you get the full 8 weeks of recovery time starting from 7/15, which should take you right to around 9/9-9/10 - so your existing return date actually works out perfectly. The most important thing right now is making sure your doctor submits that delivery date change to EDD immediately. I made the mistake of waiting a week and it caused some confusion with my payments. Once that's updated, you're all set to just ride out the disability until it ends, then apply for PFL baby bonding about 10 days before (so around late August). One tip: screenshot or save confirmation when your doctor submits the medical update, just in case you need to reference it later. The transition should be smooth, but having that documentation helped me feel more confident everything was processed correctly. You've got this mama! The hardest part is behind you - now just focus on recovery and those newborn snuggles. 💙

Congrats on your little one! 🎉 I went through something similar with my daughter - she came 4 weeks early via emergency C-section and I was so confused about all the paperwork and timelines. Everyone's given you great advice already! Just want to add one thing that helped me: after your doctor submits the delivery date update to EDD, keep checking your SDI online account every few days to make sure it reflects the correct information. Sometimes there can be delays in processing, and you want to catch any issues early. Also, don't forget to update your employer's HR department about the actual delivery date if you haven't already - they might need to adjust their records for your leave too. The good news is your timeline actually works out really well since your return date was already set for 9/10. Take advantage of having one less thing to worry about and just focus on healing and bonding with your baby boy! The benefits will sort themselves out as long as you stay on top of that medical update. ❤️

I'm currently going through this process myself - 37 weeks pregnant and recently unemployed due to layoffs. Based on my research and what my doctor told me, definitely go with SDI first! I just submitted my DE2501 form last week and my OB was super helpful in explaining the timeline. She said most doctors are very familiar with the 4-weeks-before-due-date rule and will certify you without any issues at 36 weeks. One tip that really helped me: I called EDD's SDI line directly (not the main number) and spoke to someone who walked me through exactly what documentation I'd need. They were way more knowledgeable than the general customer service line. The number is 1-800-480-3287. Also, make sure you apply online if possible - the rep told me online applications are prioritized over mailed forms right now. Don't worry about UI at this stage - you can always apply for unemployment benefits later if needed after your PFL period ends and you're ready to job search again. Focus on securing your immediate income through disability and family leave first. The stress of juggling a job search while this pregnant just isn't worth it when you have better options available through SDI/PFL!

I just want to echo what everyone else is saying - definitely go the SDI route first! I was in almost the exact same situation 8 months ago (lost my job at 35 weeks due to budget cuts) and I'm so glad I listened to advice like this. A few things that really helped me through the process: - Get your doctor appointment scheduled ASAP to start the DE2501 paperwork. Mine was booked out 2 weeks and I was panicking about timing. - When you meet with your doctor, bring a list of any pregnancy complications or discomforts you're experiencing (back pain, swelling, difficulty sleeping, etc.). This can help justify starting disability earlier than 38 weeks if needed. - Save all your recent pay stubs and tax documents in one folder - you'll need them for benefit calculations and EDD loves to ask for additional documentation. The whole process felt overwhelming when I was pregnant and stressed about money, but looking back it was actually pretty straightforward once I got that first SDI claim submitted. You'll get through this! And definitely don't feel guilty about not job hunting right now - no employer is realistically going to hire someone who's about to give birth anyway. Focus on securing your benefits and preparing for your baby. Congratulations! 🍼

btw dont forget u get 8 weeks of bonding time! alot of ppl think its just 6 weeks but its 8 weeks for 2025 claims. my sister thought she only got 6 and missed out on 2 extra weeks of paid time!

Just wanted to add my experience from last month - I applied exactly 5 days before my disability ended (online through SDI) and it worked perfectly! No payment gap at all. One tip that really helped me: when filling out the PFL application, make sure you upload a clear photo of your baby's birth certificate right away. I've seen people get delayed because they waited for EDD to request it later. Also, keep checking your claim status daily after applying - if there are any issues, you'll see them there first before getting any mail notifications. The peace of mind of having continuous payments with a newborn is so worth getting the timing right!

I'm a labor and delivery nurse who sees families deal with EDD complications all the time, especially after premature births. Your situation is unfortunately very common, but absolutely fixable! The most important thing to understand is that premature births create unique medical circumstances that justify extended disability benefits. When I help families with their paperwork, I always emphasize these key points to include in medical certifications: 1) The physical trauma of emergency/early delivery often requires longer recovery than standard births 2) Interrupted sleep patterns from NICU visits and hospital stress impact healing 3) Breastfeeding/pumping complications with preemies create additional physical demands 4) Caring for a medically fragile infant requires extended recovery time for the mother 5) Postpartum anxiety/depression rates are significantly higher for NICU parents Your son's ongoing breathing issues and adjusted developmental age are absolutely relevant medical factors. I've seen doctors successfully certify 10-12 weeks of disability for similar situations, especially when there's good documentation of the NICU stay and ongoing complications. Don't let EDD's initial response discourage you - I've watched families go from getting denied to receiving 20+ weeks of combined benefits once they had proper medical advocacy. Your OB should be familiar with writing these extended certifications for premature birth cases. If they seem unsure, you can reference other successful cases or even ask to speak with their office's patient advocate who handles disability paperwork. You're not asking for anything unreasonable - you're asking for what the system is designed to provide in exactly these circumstances!

I'm currently dealing with a very similar situation and this thread has been a lifesaver! My baby was born 8 weeks early and spent 25 days in the NICU. Like you, I made the mistake of continuing to work (remotely) during the initial chaos thinking I could preserve my leave time for when things stabilized. What I've learned from my experience and from reading everyone's advice here is that you absolutely CAN get significantly more time than those 9 weeks. The key is understanding that EDD treats premature births as special medical circumstances that often warrant extended benefits. Here's what I'm doing based on all the great advice in this thread: 1) Getting my OB to complete a new DE2501 form certifying extended pregnancy disability leave due to premature birth complications 2) Including documentation of the NICU stay and my baby's ongoing medical needs 3) Emphasizing how the premature birth affected MY recovery - the stress, sleep disruption, pumping complications, anxiety about caring for a medically fragile infant 4) Framing it as a "good cause" late claim since the medical circumstances prevented timely filing My doctor was very understanding once I explained the situation and has agreed to certify 10 weeks of post-birth disability (instead of the standard 6-8) plus potentially 4 weeks retroactive pre-birth disability. Combined with the 8 weeks of PFL bonding, I'm looking at potentially 22 weeks total. Don't give up! Your son's breathing issues and developmental needs are absolutely valid medical justifications for extended time. The system is designed to help families in situations exactly like ours - we just need to know how to navigate it properly. Wishing you the best of luck with your OB appointment!