How to transition from SDI pregnancy disability to PFL baby bonding? Last day confusion!

dont stress! i just went thru this. you apply for PFL after baby is born. Easy peasy. your disability auto-ends 6 weeks after birth (8 weeks for c-section) and then baby bonding kicks in. My HR also told me to wait til after birth to apply and it was totally fine

Thanks! So I don't need to do anything on the last day of disability? It just automatically ends?

Here's exactly how it works:\n\n1. You're already set for SDI pregnancy disability starting 4 weeks before your due date (great!)\n2. After you give birth, your doctor will certify your recovery period (typically 6 weeks for vaginal delivery or 8 weeks for C-section)\n3. The key thing: Apply for PFL baby bonding DURING your recovery period - I recommend doing it 1-2 weeks before your disability ends\n4. You don't need to do anything special on the \

This!! apply DURING your disability but AFTER baby is born!! If you wait until after disability ends you'll have a gap in pay. I made this mistake and had to wait almost 3 weeks for my first PFL payment 😫

OMG thank you so much for this warning! We definitely can't afford a 3-week gap. I'll make sure to apply 1-2 weeks before disability ends like you both suggested.

Word of caution - EDD is TERRIBLE at processing these transitions smoothly. I had a NIGHTMARE experience trying to get through to someone when my SDI was ending but PFL hadn't started yet even though I applied early.\n\nThe EDD website said my claim was \

I second this advice! The

Yeah, it was the only thing that worked after days of trying. Turned a total nightmare into something manageable. The EDD system is SO broken.

i think everyones confused cuz there are different forms. SDI is for pregnancy and recovery. PFL is for baby bonding. PPD is for postpartum depression. FMLA is for job protection. CFRA is more job protection but california only. im still confused but my HR gave me a flow chart lol

You're right - it gets confusing! But to simplify for the OP's question about transitioning from SDI to PFL:\n\n- SDI (State Disability Insurance) covers pregnancy and recovery\n- PFL (Paid Family Leave) covers baby bonding after recovery\n\nThe other programs you mentioned (FMLA and CFRA) are for job protection but don't provide payments. They run concurrently with SDI and PFL in most cases.

thx for clearing that up! wish the govt made this easier to understand

I've gone through this process twice now, and I've learned that while the official guidance is to apply for PFL 1-2 weeks before disability ends, I actually recommend applying as soon as you have your baby's birth documentation. Here's why:\n\n1. Your SDI and PFL claims get linked in the system, which helps with a smooth transition\n2. EDD processing times can be unpredictable - sometimes quick, sometimes weeks\n3. Having your PFL claim already approved and ready to activate gives you peace of mind\n\nThe system is designed so your PFL won't actually start until after your disability period ends, so there's no risk of overlap or problems by applying early. But waiting too long can definitely cause payment gaps.\n\nOne technical tip: When you apply for PFL, you'll be asked for your \

This is SO helpful! I'll definitely apply as soon as I have the birth documents then. One more question - do you know if I need the actual birth certificate or if the hospital discharge papers work? I've heard birth certificates can take weeks to arrive.

Hospital discharge papers with your baby's name and birth date work perfectly! That's what I used both times. You don't need to wait for the official birth certificate. The hospital documentation is specifically mentioned as acceptable proof on the PFL application.

So I'm actually experiencing this transition RIGHT NOW and thought I'd share what happened in case it helps.\n\nI had my baby on January 29th (vaginal delivery). My doctor certified me for the standard 6 weeks of recovery, which ends March 11th. I applied for PFL on February 25th (about 2 weeks before my disability ends).\n\nBUT here's where it got confusing - I got a message from EDD saying my PFL was approved but with a start date of March 12th (the day after my disability ends). I panicked thinking there would be a gap!\n\nI called EDD (took FOREVER to get through) and they explained that's actually correct - PFL officially starts the day after disability ends. There's no gap as long as you've applied for PFL before your disability ends.\n\nSo basically:\n1. Your disability has a specific end date\n2. Your PFL starts the NEXT DAY\n3. You don't need to do anything special on the last day\n\nJust make sure you've applied for PFL at least a week or two before your disability ends!

Thank you for sharing your real-time experience! That makes me feel better. So it sounds like as long as I apply for PFL before my disability ends, I should be good. And congrats on your new baby! ❤️

omg also dont forget you have to do those dumb bi-weekly certifications for PFL too!!!! they dont tell you that part and i almost missed my first payment bc of it

This is an important point! For pregnancy disability (SDI), you typically only certify once at the beginning. But for baby bonding (PFL), you need to certify every two weeks, just like you would for unemployment benefits.\n\nSet calendar reminders for yourself or enable text/email alerts in your EDD account. The certification periods for PFL are usually available on Sunday for the previous two weeks.

Thank you all SO MUCH for the helpful advice! I'm feeling a lot more confident now about how to handle this transition. Here's my plan based on your recommendations:\n\n1. Have baby (lol, the most important step!)\n2. Apply for PFL about 2 weeks before my disability period should end\n3. Use hospital documentation for the baby's birth info\n4. Put the day after my expected disability end date as my PFL start date\n5. Set up reminders for the bi-weekly PFL certifications\n6. If there are any issues with the transition, try that Claimyr service to reach an agent\n\nI really appreciate everyone taking the time to share your experiences and knowledge! It's made something that felt really overwhelming seem much more manageable. 💗

Perfect plan! You've got this! And remember that your disability end date will be approximately 6 weeks after birth (or 8 for C-section) unless your doctor extends it for medical reasons. Wishing you an easy delivery and smooth benefit transition! ❤️

One more tip that saved me a lot of stress - make sure to keep all your documentation organized in one folder (physical or digital). You'll need your pregnancy disability paperwork, hospital discharge papers, and eventually your PFL approval notices. Having everything in one place made it so much easier when I had questions or needed to reference dates. Also, screenshot or print your EDD account pages showing your claim status - the website can be glitchy and sometimes info disappears temporarily. Good luck mama, you're going to do great! 🍀

This thread is SO helpful! I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant and was feeling overwhelmed about this whole process too. Thank you everyone for breaking it down so clearly! One quick question - for those who've done this, did your employer require any special paperwork when transitioning from SDI to PFL? My HR department mentioned something about needing to update my leave status with them, but I wasn't sure if that's separate from the EDD applications or if it's all connected. Also @Lena Kowalski - you mentioned your doctor has you starting disability 4 weeks before due date. Did you have to request that specifically or did they recommend it? My OB hasn't brought it up yet and I wasn't sure if I should ask.