Transitioning from Pregnancy Disability to PFL baby bonding - confused about filing new claim!

You don't need to file a completely new claim! The transition from Pregnancy Disability Leave (PDL) to Paid Family Leave (PFL) for baby bonding is a continuation process. About 1-2 weeks before your disability claim ends (usually 6-8 weeks after birth depending on delivery type), EDD should automatically send you a form called a DE2501FP - it's a "Claim for Paid Family Leave Benefits - New Child" form. Just fill that out and submit it to continue into baby bonding. Your doctor will need to certify your recovery date on your final PDL certification, which marks the end of disability and starting point for PFL. The system is designed to create a smooth transition without gaps in payment.

You're getting confused because there are TWO different transitions here: 1. From pregnancy disability BEFORE birth to pregnancy disability AFTER birth (this happens automatically, nothing to file) 2. From post-birth pregnancy disability to baby bonding PFL (this requires the DE2501FP form) Your HR person is wrong - you don't file anything until you're nearing the end of your post-birth recovery period. The system works pretty well actually. Your doctor will certify you for post-birth disability (usually 6 weeks for vaginal or 8 weeks for c-section), and THEN you'll file the PFL baby bonding paperwork.

omg i remmeber this stress!! my advice is call EDD like 2 weeks before ur disability ends to make sure everything is on track. the website says one thing but then nobody actually sends the forms lol

Trying to get through to EDD on the phone is absolutely INFURIATING. I spent literal DAYS trying to reach someone when transitioning from disability to PFL last year. Their whole system is designed to prevent human contact! The auto-transfer should work in theory but SURPRISE it often doesn't and then you're just stuck with no income while caring for a newborn. FANTASTIC SYSTEM CALIFORNIA!! 👏👏 My advice: start calling them 3 weeks before your due transition date and document EVERYTHING. The system is broken by design.

Have you tried using Claimyr to get through to an EDD agent? I was in a similar situation transitioning from disability to PFL baby bonding and was getting so frustrated trying to call EDD directly. A friend recommended Claimyr and it actually worked - they got me connected to an EDD rep in about 25 minutes instead of spending hours redialing. They have a video demo showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 and the website is claimyr.com. It was seriously worth it to avoid the stress of constant busy signals, especially while dealing with a newborn.

To summarize the process clearly for anyone else finding this thread: 1. You're currently on pregnancy disability (SDI) before birth 2. After giving birth, your doctor will certify your post-birth disability period (6-8 weeks) 3. About 2 weeks before that post-birth disability ends, you should receive a DE2501FP form 4. Complete and submit that form to transition to PFL baby bonding benefits 5. If you don't receive the form automatically, download it from EDD website 6. Your baby bonding PFL will provide 8 weeks of benefits at the same weekly rate as your disability And yes, contacting EDD directly can be challenging - having a strategy to reach a representative is important if issues arise with your transition.

Thanks everyone for all the helpful advice! I'm feeling much better about understanding the process now. I'll make sure to be proactive about checking for that DE2501FP form around 4-5 weeks after birth, and I'll download a copy from the website just in case. I'll definitely try Claimyr if I need to contact EDD - those hours of waiting and getting disconnected are the last thing I need with a newborn! I'll update this thread after my baby arrives to share how the transition process went in case it helps someone else.

One more tip that helped me - create a calendar reminder for yourself at 4 weeks postpartum to check your EDD online account for the DE2501FP form. I also set another reminder at 5 weeks to call/download the form if it hadn't arrived yet. Having those reminders saved me from the stress of suddenly realizing my disability benefits were ending without the PFL paperwork ready. The last few weeks with a newborn are such a blur that it's easy to lose track of these important deadlines! Also, if you have a partner or family member who can help track these dates, even better - teamwork makes the whole process less overwhelming.

As someone who just went through this transition 3 months ago, I want to emphasize how important it is to stay organized during this process! I created a simple folder (both physical and digital) with all my EDD documents, doctor's notes, and important dates. This saved me so much stress when I had questions or needed to reference something quickly. Also, don't hesitate to ask your doctor's office to help clarify the timeline - they deal with these disability certifications all the time and can often give you a clearer picture of when your post-birth recovery period will end. My OB's office was actually more helpful than EDD in explaining the process! One last thing - if you're planning to take the full 8 weeks of baby bonding PFL, make sure your employer knows the timeline so they can plan accordingly. Good luck with everything - you've got this! 💪