EDD denied my full maternity leave after premature birth and NICU stay - can I get more than 9 weeks?

Yes, you definitely can get more time! The system is super confusing with premature births. Here's what you need to do: 1) Contact your doctor ASAP and get a NEW certification form (DE2501) stating you need additional pregnancy disability leave retroactive to when you stopped working. Your doctor can certify up to 4 weeks before birth and typically 6-8 weeks after birth (8 for c-section, 6 for vaginal). 2) Then after your PDL ends, you can transition to PFL baby bonding for the full 8 weeks. With a premature birth and NICU stay, many doctors will extend the post-birth disability period beyond the standard 6-8 weeks due to additional recovery needs. Don't wait on this - get that updated medical certification ASAP!

omg the SAME THING happened 2 me!!! baby came 7 wks early last yr and i worked thru everything thinking i was being smart. BIGGEST MISTAKE!! the way EDD handles premies is so confusing. i ended up w/ less time than my friend who had a normal delivery. make sure u get the right forms filled out cuz i messed that up and lost like 3 wks of benefits i shoulda got

You're dealing with two separate benefits here that people often confuse: - Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL): This is processed through State Disability Insurance (SDI) and requires form DE2501. This covers pregnancy-related disability before birth (up to 4 weeks) and recovery after birth (6-8 weeks typically). - Paid Family Leave (PFL): This is baby bonding time (8 weeks) using form DE2508. For premature births with NICU stays, doctors often certify EXTENDED PDL time beyond the standard 6-8 weeks. Since your baby had health complications requiring NICU care, and you have documentation of this, your doctor can potentially certify disability beyond the standard period. I recommend: 1. Get a new medical certification from your doctor documenting your need for extended PDL due to premature birth complications. 2. File this amended disability claim immediately. 3. Once your disability period ends, then file for your 8 weeks of PFL baby bonding. Potentially, you could get 4 weeks pre-birth (even though you worked), 8+ weeks post-birth disability (with doctor certification), plus 8 weeks baby bonding = 20+ weeks total.

The EDD system is LITERALLY DESIGNED to confuse new mothers!!! It's ridiculous how they expect us to navigate this complicated process while recovering from birth and caring for a newborn. I spent HOURS on the phone trying to fix issues with my claim after my baby came early. And guess what? Half the EDD reps gave me completely different information! One told me I couldn't change anything once submitted, another said I could submit a new claim. It's infuriating!!

Have you tried calling EDD directly? Whenever I had questions about my maternity benefits they were actually pretty helpful in explaining what I needed to do. You might just need to update your claim with new medical info.

wait im confused... so u worked during ur leave time? or u were working before u went on leave? can u even get paid for time that u were working?

So this might be a little off-topic but I'm actually amazed you were able to work during your NICU stay! When my daughter was in the NICU last year, I was such an emotional wreck I couldn't even check email. Just wanted to acknowledge your strength during what must have been an incredibly stressful time. Regarding your benefits, definitely talk to your doctor about extending your disability period. My OB wrote a letter explaining that the premature birth plus NICU time created additional recovery needs and stress. It worked for me!

One more important thing - when you submit your new disability claim, make sure to include all your medical documentation showing the premature birth and NICU stay. This strengthens your case for extended disability benefits. Also, if you're having trouble reaching EDD by phone (which is common), you can use their online message system through your SDI Online account. Document everything and follow up persistently. The system is complicated but navigable if you're persistent.

I went through something very similar with my daughter who was born 8 weeks early! The key thing I learned is that EDD treats premature births differently because of the medical complications involved. Here's what worked for me: 1. Get your OB to write a detailed letter explaining how the premature birth and NICU stay affected YOUR recovery, not just the baby's health. They can certify that you need extended disability time due to the stress and physical toll of the situation. 2. Make sure to emphasize any complications you had during delivery or recovery - even things like difficulty with milk supply, which is super common with premature births. 3. The fact that your baby still has breathing issues is actually relevant! Your doctor can argue that caring for a medically fragile infant requires extended recovery time for the mother. I ended up getting 12 weeks of disability plus my 8 weeks of bonding time. Don't give up - the system is set up to help in situations like yours, you just need the right documentation. Your baby needs you home right now, and EDD should recognize that!

I'm going through something similar right now! My baby was born 5 weeks early and spent 12 days in the NICU. I made the same mistake of working through everything thinking I was being smart about saving my leave. What I've learned from talking to other moms and doing research is that you absolutely can get more time, but you need to act fast. The key is getting your doctor to understand that this isn't just about standard recovery - premature births create unique circumstances that require extended disability time. When I met with my OB, I made sure to mention not just the physical recovery, but also the emotional stress, sleep deprivation from NICU visits, pumping struggles (since preemies often can't breastfeed initially), and the ongoing anxiety about my baby's health. One thing that helped me was bringing documentation from the NICU about my baby's medical needs when I got discharged. My doctor was able to reference this when writing my extended disability certification. She explained to EDD that caring for a premature infant with ongoing health concerns requires additional recovery time for the mother beyond the standard period. Don't let EDD's initial response discourage you - premature birth situations are exactly when the system should be flexible. Your baby needs you home, especially with those breathing issues. Keep pushing for what you and your family need!

I'm so sorry you're dealing with this stress on top of everything else! As someone who's been through the EDD maze with a premature baby, I wanted to share what worked for me. The most important thing is getting your doctor to certify that your specific situation requires extended disability time beyond the standard period. When you meet with your OB, be very specific about how the premature birth and NICU experience has affected YOUR recovery - not just your baby's health. Things like disrupted sleep from hospital visits, stress-related physical symptoms, breastfeeding/pumping complications (super common with preemies), and the ongoing anxiety of caring for a medically fragile infant all count as legitimate reasons for extended disability. Also, don't forget that you can potentially get disability time retroactive to 4 weeks before birth even though you worked - your doctor just needs to certify that you were experiencing pregnancy-related disability during that time. Combined with extended post-birth disability and then your 8 weeks of PFL bonding, you could potentially get much more than those 9 weeks you're currently looking at. The key is persistence and having your doctor really advocate for you in the medical certification. EDD sees premature birth/NICU cases all the time, so they understand these aren't typical situations. Your baby's breathing issues and the fact that he's developmentally much younger than his chronological age are absolutely relevant factors your doctor can reference. Don't give up - you deserve this time with your little one!

I'm a new parent dealing with a similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! My baby was also born prematurely (5 weeks early) and I'm just now realizing I may have made some mistakes with my EDD claims. One thing I wanted to add that might help others - when you're gathering documentation for your doctor, don't forget about any postpartum complications you might have had that could extend your disability period. Things like postpartum depression/anxiety (which is more common with NICU parents), healing issues, or even just the physical toll of spending weeks in the hospital can all be medically relevant. Also, if anyone is still in the NICU phase, I'd recommend asking your baby's medical team to document how your presence and care is medically beneficial for your baby's development. Some doctors will include language about the importance of parental bonding time for premature infants in their notes, which can support your PFL claim later. The system is definitely confusing, but reading everyone's experiences here gives me hope that with the right documentation and persistence, we can get the time our families need. Thanks to everyone who shared their stories - it's so valuable to learn from others who've navigated this successfully!

I'm a healthcare worker who has helped many families navigate EDD claims after premature births, and I want to emphasize something crucial that I haven't seen mentioned yet: timing is everything with your amended claim. Since you're already past the typical filing deadlines, you'll want to frame this as a "good cause" late claim rather than just an amendment. When your doctor fills out the new DE2501 form, make sure they explicitly state that your medical condition (premature birth complications, ongoing stress from caring for a medically fragile infant) prevented you from filing timely. EDD has provisions for late claims when there's good medical cause. Also, regarding your specific question about getting more than 9 weeks - absolutely yes! Here's the realistic timeline you should be aiming for: up to 4 weeks retroactive pre-birth disability (if your doctor certifies pregnancy complications), 8-12 weeks post-birth disability (extended due to premature birth circumstances), plus your full 8 weeks PFL bonding. That could put you at 20-24 weeks total. One more critical point: when you transition from disability to PFL, there should be NO gap between the two claims. Make sure your disability end date matches your PFL start date exactly, or you'll create additional complications with EDD. Your son's adjusted age of 7 weeks and ongoing breathing issues are strong medical justifications for extended time. Don't let EDD's initial denial discourage you - premature birth cases require special handling, and you deserve the full benefits available to you!

I'm a new mom who went through almost the exact same situation last year! My daughter was born 7 weeks early and spent 3 weeks in the NICU. I also made the mistake of working during the initial period thinking I was being strategic about saving leave time. What ultimately worked for me was getting my OB to write a very detailed medical certification explaining that my situation required extended disability time due to multiple factors: the physical stress of an emergency premature delivery, the emotional toll of having a baby in the NICU, complications with milk supply (which is SO common with preemies), and the ongoing stress of caring for an infant with medical needs. My doctor was able to certify 10 weeks of post-birth disability instead of the standard 6-8 weeks, specifically citing the premature birth complications and my baby's ongoing health issues. Then I got my full 8 weeks of PFL bonding time after that. The key is really emphasizing to your doctor how the premature birth has affected YOUR recovery - not just your baby's health. Things like sleep deprivation from hospital visits, anxiety about your baby's condition, physical exhaustion from pumping/hospital travel, etc. All of these are legitimate medical factors that can justify extended disability time. Don't give up! The system is designed to help in situations like yours. Your baby's breathing issues and the fact that he's developmentally much younger than his chronological age are absolutely valid reasons for needing extended time at home. Push for what your family needs - you deserve it!

I'm so glad I found this thread! I'm currently pregnant with my first baby and after reading through everyone's experiences, I'm realizing I need to educate myself about EDD benefits BEFORE any complications arise. For those of you who successfully got extended disability time for premature births - did you have to provide specific medical documentation beyond just the doctor's certification form? I'm thinking things like NICU discharge summaries, pediatrician notes about ongoing health issues, or documentation of postpartum complications you mentioned? Also, I'm curious about the timing - how quickly after you stopped working were you able to get your amended disability claims processed? I know EDD can be slow, but wondering if premature birth situations get expedited handling given the urgent nature. Thank you all for sharing such detailed experiences. This information could be life-changing for families dealing with unexpected complications!

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!