When to apply for baby bonding PFL after C-section disability ends? Need timing advice
I'm currently on week 6 of my pregnancy disability leave following my C-section (doctor approved 8 weeks total). I'll need to certify for my final disability week this Friday 3/17. I'm confused about when exactly I should submit my PFL baby bonding application to avoid any gap in payments. Should I apply now while still on disability, wait until my last disability certification, or submit it after my disability officially ends? I've heard horror stories about people waiting weeks without pay during the transition and I really can't afford any payment delays with our new expenses. Has anyone successfully navigated this transition recently? What's the optimal timing?
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Paloma Clark
I just went through this in January! Apply for PFL baby bonding exactly 5 days before your pregnancy disability ends. So if your last day of disability is March 26, submit your baby bonding application on March 21. This gives EDD time to process the transition but doesn't confuse their system by applying too early. Make sure you use the DE2508 form specifically for PFL (not the disability form). Also save all your confirmation numbers and screenshots of your submission - I needed mine when following up.
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Evelyn Kelly
•Thank you! That's super helpful. Did you apply online or with the paper form? I've heard mixed things about which method processes faster.
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Heather Tyson
i submitted my pfl app like 2 weeks before my disability ended and it was a DISASTER!!!! they kept saying i cant have overlapping claims and made me resubmit everything. ended up with no payment for almost 3 wks while they fixed it. def wait till ur really close to the end but dont wait til after it ends or youll have a gap
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Evelyn Kelly
•Oh no, that's exactly what I'm afraid of! Did you have to call them to fix it or did it eventually resolve online?
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Raul Neal
Just had my baby 4 months ago and went through this! The timing is super important. I waited until after my disability ended and had almost 3 weeks with no pay. Definitely apply a few days before disability ends!
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Jenna Sloan
Apply 5-7 days before your disability ends. Here's the exact process I recommend: 1. Submit PFL application (DE2508) online through your SDI account 2. In the "first day of family leave" section, put the day AFTER your disability ends 3. Make sure your doctor has properly closed your disability claim with an end date 4. Have your baby's birth certificate information ready (they sometimes request it) The system won't let your claims overlap, but applying early gives them time to process. This method worked perfectly for me with my twins last year - zero gap between payments.
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Christian Burns
•my friend had her baby in december and she did exaclty this! worked great for her too!
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Sasha Reese
Honestly the EDD system is COMPLETELY BROKEN when it comes to these transitions! I followed all the rules about applying 5 days before my disability ended and STILL ended up with a 4-week gap because they claimed my "file was under review" for no reason. Called 37 TIMES and couldn't get through to a human. Had to borrow money from my parents while waiting. The whole system is designed to make you give up!!
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Muhammad Hobbs
•I had the exact same experience trying to reach EDD when my claim got stuck in the transition. Finally used a service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that got me connected to an actual EDD rep in about 20 minutes instead of spending days redialing. They have a video showing how it works: https://youtu.be/DOLxZQb92wM?si=6N1iCQ3a8Cdb2Ay5 - saved me so much frustration when I was already stressed with a newborn. The rep fixed my transition issue right away once I actually got to speak with someone.
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Christian Burns
congrats on your baby!! when i had my c-section last year i applied for the baby bonding like 3 days before my disability ended and it worked fine. make sure u have your babies birth certifcate info ready!!
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Paloma Clark
To answer your question about online vs paper - DEFINITELY apply online through your SDI Online account. Paper forms are taking 3-4 weeks to process right now, while online applications are processed in about 7-10 days. Just make sure all information matches exactly what you had on your disability claim (same name format, address, etc.) to avoid any flagging in their system.
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Evelyn Kelly
•Perfect, that makes sense. I'll definitely apply online then. Do you know if I need my doctor to do anything to officially close my disability claim? Or does it automatically end on the date they initially approved?
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Raul Neal
My doctor had to submit a form saying my recovery period was over. Check with your OB!
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Jenna Sloan
Your disability claim should close automatically on the date your doctor specified in your original certification. However, if your doctor initially put a shorter recovery period and then extended it, you'll want to make sure the final end date is properly recorded in the system. You can verify this by checking your claim status online or calling your doctor's office to confirm they've submitted all final paperwork. When you apply for PFL, the start date should be exactly one day after your SDI end date to ensure a smooth transition. For example, if disability ends March 26, your PFL should start March 27.
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Evelyn Kelly
•Thank you so much for all this detailed info. I just checked my SDI online account and it shows my claim ending on March 26, so I'll plan to apply for PFL on March 21 with a start date of March 27. Hopefully that will work smoothly!
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Heather Tyson
btw dont forget u get 8 weeks of bonding time! alot of ppl think its just 6 weeks but its 8 weeks for 2025 claims. my sister thought she only got 6 and missed out on 2 extra weeks of paid time!
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Evelyn Kelly
•Oh that's so good to know! I was actually thinking it was 6 weeks. So I'll get 8 weeks of disability for the C-section and then 8 weeks of baby bonding PFL? That's amazing!
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Paloma Clark
•That's correct - 8 weeks pregnancy disability (since you had a C-section) and then 8 weeks of Paid Family Leave for baby bonding. Just make sure when you apply for PFL that you select "bonding with new child" as your reason, not "care for a family member" which is a different benefit.
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Charlee Coleman
Just wanted to add my experience from last month - I applied exactly 5 days before my disability ended (online through SDI) and it worked perfectly! No payment gap at all. One tip that really helped me: when filling out the PFL application, make sure you upload a clear photo of your baby's birth certificate right away. I've seen people get delayed because they waited for EDD to request it later. Also, keep checking your claim status daily after applying - if there are any issues, you'll see them there first before getting any mail notifications. The peace of mind of having continuous payments with a newborn is so worth getting the timing right!
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Andrew Pinnock
•Thank you for sharing your recent experience! That's really reassuring to hear it worked smoothly for you. I definitely will upload the birth certificate right away when I apply - that's a great tip I hadn't thought of. Quick question: did you need to wait for your baby's official birth certificate from the county, or did the hospital discharge paperwork work for the upload?
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