Baby bonding PFL - Does my husband's doctor or my OB-GYN need to certify his EDD claim?

my husband just did this in january! for baby bonding he didnt need ANY doctor to sign off. birth certificate was enough. its WAY easier than the pregnancy disability stuff. they just need proof the baby exists lol

I went through this exact confusion last year! For PFL baby bonding, your husband doesn't need ANY medical certification. Baby bonding PFL is different from disability leave - there's no medical condition to certify. He'll file the DE2508 form and provide proof of relationship (birth certificate once you have it). His claim starts when he begins his leave (after baby is born). No doctor signatures needed at all! The system is actually pretty straightforward for the non-birthing parent once you understand the difference between SDI and PFL.

That's not what happened with us. When my husband applied last year they made him get MY doctor to sign something confirming the baby was born. The whole process was a nightmare and delayed his benefits by 3 weeks!!!

I remember being confused about this too! For baby bonding (which is what your husband will be applying for), no doctor certification is needed. The form is DE2508 for PFL, not the disability form. He's not claiming he's disabled, just that he needs to bond with his new baby. You'll be on SDI first (which DOES require your doctor's certification) then switch to PFL. Your husband just does PFL with proof of birth. Tip: have him apply AFTER the baby is born. If he applies before, it just complicates things.

UGH the whole EDD system is such a mess! When I had my baby in 2024, they kept bouncing us around between departments. My husband's claim got denied TWICE because some rep told him the wrong information about doctor certification. We finally got it sorted but lost almost a month of benefits because of their incompetence. Make sure he calls and speaks to someone who ACTUALLY KNOWS what they're talking about!

oh yeah and make sure when he fills out that DE2508 form he puts the babies BIRTH DATE as the first day of his claim (not before) or theyll deny it!! my husband almost made that mistake

To provide the official answer: For California PFL baby bonding claims, the father does NOT need any medical provider certification. The EDD only requires: 1. A completed DE2508 form 2. Proof of relationship to the child (birth certificate) If he applies before the birth certificate is available, there's a section on the form where the birthing parent's doctor CAN provide certification of birth, but this is optional. Most fathers simply wait until they have the birth certificate. The father can apply up to 12 months after the birth and can split his 8 weeks of leave however needed within that 12-month period.

For split periods of baby bonding leave, your husband would file an initial claim for the first period. Then for subsequent periods, he'd need to file a "Notice of Reestablished Claim" when he wants to use the remaining weeks. It's still under the same claim, but he needs to notify EDD each time he starts a new period of leave. Make sure he notifies his employer according to their policy as well.

Just wanted to add my experience from having our baby in February 2025! My husband's PFL baby bonding claim was super straightforward - no doctor certification needed at all. He just filled out the DE2508 form online and uploaded a copy of our baby's birth certificate. The whole process took about 10 minutes and he got his first payment within 2 weeks. One tip: make sure he selects the right claim type on the EDD website. There are different options and "baby bonding" is specifically listed as separate from disability claims. Also, he can actually start his claim on any date after the birth - doesn't have to be immediately. We waited a month so I could go back to work part-time first, then he took his 8 weeks. The system is way more flexible than we expected!