High-risk pregnancy & EDD SDI filing - need advice for first-time maternity leave application

First, don't panic! The process is pretty straightforward once you understand the steps. You're correct that you'll file for State Disability Insurance (SDI) first for your high-risk pregnancy, then transition to Paid Family Leave (PFL) after birth for baby bonding. Here's what you need to do: 1. File your SDI claim online through SDI Online portal when you're about 3-4 weeks from your planned leave date 2. Your doctor needs to complete their portion of the DE2501 form with your medical info 3. Make sure your doctor indicates it's pregnancy-related disability 4. You'll get up to 4 weeks before your due date (more since you're high-risk) and up to 6-8 weeks after birth depending on delivery type 5. About 1-2 weeks before your SDI ends, file for PFL baby bonding The online system will guide you through everything! Just make sure your doctor knows you're filing so they can submit their certification promptly.

i went thru this last yr! high risk too (twins). start the SDI application online at least 2-3 wks b4 u need leave. the EDD website always crashes lol. Dr office should kno what to do but remind them!! my HR dept gave me wrong info btw so double check everythin urself

BE CAREFUL!!! EDD won't automatically transition you from disability to baby bonding. You HAVE to file a separate PFL claim before your disability ends or you'll have a gap with no payments!!!! I learned this the hard way and had 3 weeks with NO income because nobody told me. The EDD phone lines are IMPOSSIBLE to get through to fix problems. I ended up using Claimyr (claimyr.com) to get through to an actual human after trying for days. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 - totally worth it because the agent was able to backdate my claim and fix the payment gap.

I've helped many clients navigate this process, and here's what you should know about high-risk pregnancy and SDI: 1. For high-risk pregnancies, you can often get approved for SDI earlier than the standard 4 weeks before due date. Your doctor will need to provide medical documentation explaining why you need to stop working sooner. 2. In 2025, the maximum weekly benefit is $1,620, calculated based on your highest quarter of earnings in your base period (roughly 5-18 months before your claim). 3. Your employer doesn't submit anything for SDI - it's just you and your doctor. However, if you have employer-provided short-term disability insurance, that's a separate process. 4. Make sure to create your SDI Online account BEFORE you need to file. The verification process can take several days. 5. Keep track of your claim ID number and all correspondence from EDD. You'll need these for reference when you transition to PFL later. Don't forget that PFL provides 8 weeks of baby bonding time that you can use all at once or split up (minimum 2-week increments) anytime within the first year after birth.

Anyone else have their high-risk SDI claim denied initially? My doctor wrote that I needed to stop working at 28 weeks but EDD denied it saying it wasn't "medically necessary" yet. I had to appeal and it was SO STRESSFUL. Just warning you that EDD can be really difficult about approving early disability for pregnancy even with doctor's orders.

I feel your stress! The whole maternity leave system is DESIGNED to be confusing. I'm convinced they hope people mess up paperwork so they don't have to pay benefits. I was also high-risk (preeclampsia) and ended up on bedrest from 32 weeks. Here's my timeline so you know what to expect: - Week 30: Doctor said I needed to prepare for early leave - Week 31: Filed SDI online (took forever because their website is from 1995 I swear) - Week 32: Started leave, doctor submitted their part - Week 33: Got approval letter but NO MONEY - Week 35: Finally got first payment (retroactive) - Delivery at 37 weeks - Recovery: SDI continued 8 weeks post C-section - Filed PFL one week before SDI ended - 2 week gap between last SDI payment and first PFL payment 😡 My biggest advice: DOCUMENT EVERYTHING. Keep a log of every phone call, letter, and claim number. The EDD system is a nightmare and nobody takes responsibility for mistakes.

just wondering does your company have short term disability insurance too? cause you should file for that at the same time. some companies have policies that pay the other 30-40% that EDD doesnt cover so you get full salary

also dont forget you need to pay health insurance premiums yourself while on leave!!! my company sent me a bill each month for my portion that normally comes out of my paycheck. they dont tell u this stuff until ur already on leave!

One more important tip for your high-risk pregnancy claim: Keep a copy of all medical documentation yourself. Don't assume your doctor's office sent everything correctly to EDD. You can actually check the status of your claim documentation through your SDI Online account. If you see that the medical certification is missing or incomplete after a few days of filing, follow up with your doctor immediately. Also, since you mentioned being high-risk and potentially starting leave around 30 weeks, your doctor needs to specifically document why you need to stop working earlier than the standard 36 weeks. The medical necessity must be clearly stated for earlier disability approval. Good luck with everything! The system can be confusing but once you get through the initial filing, it usually runs smoothly.

Hi Alice! I went through this exact situation last year with my high-risk pregnancy (placenta previa). One thing I wish someone had told me is to take screenshots of EVERYTHING when you file your claim online. The EDD website sometimes glitches and you might lose your progress halfway through the application - happened to me twice! Also, when your doctor fills out the DE2501 form, make sure they include specific job restrictions. Mine wrote "cannot lift over 10 lbs, cannot stand for extended periods, requires frequent breaks" which really helped justify the medical necessity. Pro tip: Create a dedicated email folder for all EDD correspondence and set up email alerts. You'll get a lot of notifications and it's easy to miss important deadlines if you're not organized. The whole process took me about 2 weeks from filing to first payment, but that was because my doctor was super responsive. You've got this mama! The paperwork is overwhelming but totally worth it to get the time you need to rest and prepare for baby. 💕

Hey Alice! I just went through this whole process 6 months ago with twins and preeclampsia. The stress is real but you're asking all the right questions! Here's my biggest piece of advice: Download the EDD mobile app AND bookmark the desktop site. Sometimes one works when the other doesn't. I literally had to switch between them multiple times during my application process. Also, once you get your claim number, write it down in like 5 different places. You'll need it for EVERYTHING and if you lose it, getting through to customer service to retrieve it is nearly impossible. One thing I don't see mentioned yet - if you work from home or have a desk job, EDD might question why you can't work with high-risk pregnancy. My doctor had to write a super detailed letter explaining how even sitting at a computer for 8 hours could worsen my blood pressure. Just something to keep in mind when you talk to your OB about the certification! The whole thing is scary at first but honestly once the payments start coming in regularly, it's such a relief. You're going to be fine - just stay on top of the paperwork and don't be afraid to call your doctor's office to follow up! 🤗

Hi Alice! I'm currently going through a similar situation - 20 weeks with gestational diabetes and my doctor just mentioned I might need early leave too. Reading through all these responses is honestly both helpful and terrifying! 😅 One thing I wanted to add that I learned from my HR department: if you're planning to use any vacation time or sick leave to supplement your SDI benefits, make sure to coordinate that with your employer BEFORE you file your SDI claim. Some companies require you to use up accrued time first, while others let you save it for after your disability benefits end. Also, I've been keeping a pregnancy journal with all my symptoms and doctor visits documented - my sister (who's a lawyer) suggested this could be helpful if there are any questions about medical necessity later on. Might be worth starting one now if you haven't already! The amount of information to track is overwhelming but everyone here seems to have made it through okay. Sending you positive vibes for a smooth process and healthy pregnancy! 💕