I'm a new mom with a 4-week-old and this entire discussion has been such a lifeline for me! Reading everyone's experiences and creative solutions is helping me feel so much more prepared and less alone in this struggle. One additional resource I wanted to share - if your company has a diversity, equity & inclusion (DEI) committee or women's employee resource group, they sometimes have advocacy programs or can help you navigate family-friendly policy discussions with leadership. At my company, the women's ERG actually successfully lobbied for enhanced parental leave benefits that weren't originally in place. Also, don't underestimate the power of documenting everything throughout this process. Keep records of all your conversations with HR, your supervisor, and your doctor. This paper trail can be incredibly valuable if you need to escalate or reference previous discussions. @Katherine, your journey through this process is inspiring so many of us who are facing the same deadline! The fact that you've gotten your supervisor on board with vacation time and part-time arrangements shows what's possible when you advocate thoughtfully and persistently. This thread has become such an incredible resource - thank you to everyone for sharing your experiences so openly. It's proof that when new parents support each other with practical advice and emotional encouragement, we can navigate even the most challenging transitions together! 💕

I'm a new mom with a 6-week-old and this entire thread has been such an incredible resource! Reading through everyone's experiences and suggestions is both heartbreaking and empowering - heartbreaking because so many of us are facing this impossible 8-week deadline, but empowering because of all the creative solutions and advocacy strategies you've all shared. One thing I wanted to add that might help - if your company offers tuition reimbursement or professional development benefits, sometimes these programs have clauses about extended leave for "life transitions" or "family planning." It's a long shot, but I've heard of people successfully arguing that bonding time with a new baby is professional development in work-life balance and family management skills. Also, some credit unions and employee financial wellness programs offer short-term emergency loans specifically for family transitions that could help bridge the gap if you take unpaid leave. The interest rates are usually much better than credit cards or personal loans. @Katherine, I'm so inspired by how you've turned this panic into such productive action! The combination of medical documentation, vacation time, flexible scheduling, and part-time arrangements you're putting together is brilliant. You're not just advocating for yourself - you're potentially paving the way for other new parents at your company to have better options in the future. This community has shown me that we don't have to accept inadequate policies quietly. When we share our experiences and support each other's advocacy efforts, we can find solutions that seemed impossible at first. Thank you all for being so generous with your advice and encouragement! 💕

Hi Ava! I just went through this exact situation 3 months ago and wanted to share what worked for me. I was on SDI for hyperemesis gravidarum and my little one decided to arrive 4 weeks early! Here's what I learned: the moment you give birth, your SDI claim automatically needs to shift from "pregnancy complications" to "postpartum recovery." You can't stay on the pregnancy portion after delivery - that would technically be incorrect since you're no longer pregnant with complications. I called EDD from my hospital room about 18 hours after delivery (once I was feeling more alert). The representative was super helpful and explained that they see this situation constantly. She updated my claim immediately over the phone and told me what to expect next. My recovery period was 6 weeks for vaginal delivery, then I seamlessly transitioned to PFL bonding. The weekly benefit amount stayed exactly the same throughout - no changes there! One thing that really helped: I had my partner write down all our important info (my SSN, claim number, baby's birth details) on a note card that we kept with our hospital bag. When it came time to make the call, everything was right there and easy to reference. Your doctor's office will handle the paperwork side - they're used to this process. Mine had the updated forms submitted to EDD within 2 days of delivery without me even having to ask. You're going to do great! The fact that you're thinking about this ahead of time shows you're well prepared. The transition is much smoother than it seems when you're pregnant and worried about everything! 💕

Hi Ava! I'm a new mom who went through this exact transition just 4 months ago, and I wanted to share my experience to hopefully ease your worries! I was on SDI for severe pregnancy complications and my baby arrived 2.5 weeks before my claim was set to end. Like you, I was terrified of messing up my benefits, but it turned out to be much smoother than expected. Here's what happened: I called EDD within 12 hours of giving birth (my husband made the call while I was recovering). The representative immediately converted my claim from pregnancy disability to postpartum recovery - no paperwork needed from my end! My doctor's office automatically sent the updated DE2501 form with my delivery date within 24 hours. The key things that worked for me: • Called EDD ASAP after delivery (don't wait!) • Had all my claim info written down and ready • Let my doctor's office know I'd need the updated forms submitted quickly • Got 6 weeks of recovery at the same benefit rate • Received my PFL application notice automatically about a week before recovery ended The transition was completely seamless - no gaps in payments at all. Your weekly benefit amount will stay the same throughout SDI recovery and PFL bonding. You're being so smart by planning ahead! Having all your EDD info organized and ready will make everything go smoothly when baby arrives. Don't stress too much - this is a very common situation and EDD handles it routinely. You've got this mama! 💙

Congratulations on your baby boy! 🎉 I'm currently 36 weeks pregnant and this thread has been incredibly eye-opening for me. Reading everyone's experiences has made me realize I need to be way more proactive about the SDI to PFL transition than I originally thought. It sounds like the consensus is clear: apply for PFL baby bonding around week 4 postpartum through the DE2508 form, and definitely don't wait for the 6-week checkup despite what doctors might suggest. The fact that so many people have experienced payment gaps because they assumed the transition would be automatic is honestly terrifying when you're already dealing with all the expenses of a new baby. I'm definitely bookmarking this thread and setting phone reminders for myself. It's amazing how much more useful these real-world experiences are compared to trying to navigate the confusing EDD website or getting incomplete advice from healthcare providers. Thank you to everyone who shared their stories - you're literally saving future parents from financial stress during an already overwhelming time! 💕

Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy! 🎉 I'm currently 34 weeks pregnant with my first and this entire thread has been absolutely invaluable - I've been so anxious about navigating the EDD system postpartum and you've all given me such a clear roadmap! The consistent advice about applying for PFL baby bonding around week 4 postpartum (instead of waiting for the 6-week checkup) is going to save me so much stress and potentially avoid those scary payment gaps everyone mentioned. I'm shocked that healthcare providers keep giving advice that leads to benefit interruptions - it really shows how disconnected the medical system is from the actual administrative realities new parents face. I'm definitely setting multiple phone reminders right now: - Week 3 postpartum: Start gathering documents - Week 4: File DE2508 form through SDI Online - Select "immediately after current SDI ends" option Thank you to everyone who shared their real experiences, especially the timing mistakes and lessons learned. This community support is exactly what overwhelmed new parents need! I'm bookmarking this thread as my go-to reference guide. Wishing you the smoothest transition possible with your benefits and lots of sweet moments with your little one! 💕

I'm currently going through this exact process right now! Just submitted my application last week for my January leave. One thing that really helped me was creating a checklist of everything I needed before applying: ✓ Both employers' exact legal names (from paystubs) ✓ EIN numbers for both companies ✓ HR/payroll contact info for both jobs ✓ My employee ID numbers from both places ✓ Last 18 months of pay stubs organized by employer ✓ Doctor's contact info ready for medical certification The online application actually walks you through adding multiple employers step by step, and there's a clear section where you can add a second (or third) job. Just make sure you list your highest-paying job first as your "primary" employer. One tip I wish I'd known earlier - call EDD's automated system (1-800-480-3287) and listen to the menu options a few times before you actually need to use it. Knowing how to navigate their phone system ahead of time can save you stress later if you need to follow up on anything. You're going to do great! Having two jobs definitely makes it a bit more complex, but it sounds like you're being really thorough in your preparation.

This thread has been incredibly helpful! I'm in a similar situation - expecting my first baby in March and working two part-time jobs. Reading through everyone's experiences has made me feel so much more prepared for when I need to apply. One question I have that I haven't seen addressed yet - for those of you who worked multiple jobs, did you need to coordinate your leave timing with both employers, or were you able to handle them independently? I'm wondering if there are any complications if one employer wants different documentation or has different leave policies than the other. Also, has anyone had experience with employers who were unfamiliar with the EDD process? I'm a little worried that my smaller employer might not know how to handle the verification requests properly, which could cause delays in my benefits. Thanks to everyone who's shared their experiences - this community is such a valuable resource for navigating these complex processes!

I'm also new here and currently going through this exact nightmare! My baby bonding PFL was supposed to end next week but my employer just approved extending it through May 15th. I've been completely panicking about how to get this updated before my benefits stop. Like everyone else here, I've had absolutely zero luck with phone calls - tried the main EDD line probably 20+ times over the past two weeks with nothing but busy signals or immediate disconnections. The online portal is also useless for me because ID.me keeps rejecting my hyphenated last name. This thread has been an absolute lifesaver! I had no idea about the fax option or that dedicated PFL phone number. Based on all the amazing success stories shared here, I'm definitely going to fax my request to 1-916-319-4576 tomorrow morning. I'll use that simple, direct format that @Nathan Kim shared - just my claim ID, SSN, original return date vs new return date (May 15th), and a clear statement requesting the change. I'm also planning to follow up with a call to 1-877-238-4373 in a few days to confirm they received it, and I'll definitely keep certifying throughout the process like @Amara Chukwu mentioned about maintaining continuous certification. Thank you all SO much for sharing real solutions that actually work! It's incredibly stressful trying to navigate this bureaucracy while sleep-deprived with a newborn, but reading these genuine success stories gives me so much hope. I'll definitely update once I hear back about my request! 🙏

I'm also new to this community and dealing with this exact same stressful situation! My baby bonding PFL was supposed to end this Friday but my employer just approved extending it until May 20th. I've been absolutely panicking about getting this changed with EDD before my benefits get cut off. Like so many others here, I've had zero success calling EDD - tried the main line at least 22 times over the past 10 days with nothing but busy signals, endless hold music, or sudden disconnections. The online portal won't work for me either because of some glitch where it won't recognize my apartment number format. This thread has been such a game-changer! I had no clue about the fax option or that PFL-specific phone number everyone's mentioned. Based on all the incredible success stories shared here, I'm definitely going to fax my request to 1-916-319-4576 first thing tomorrow morning. I'll keep it simple and direct like @Nathan Kim suggested - just include my claim ID, SSN, original return date vs new return date (May 20th), brief explanation, and my contact info. The advice about following up with that dedicated PFL line (1-877-238-4373) to confirm receipt also sounds really smart. And I'll absolutely keep certifying while waiting for the change to process based on what @Amara Chukwu shared about maintaining continuous certification. Thank you all for sharing what actually worked instead of just the generic "call EDD" advice you get everywhere else! Navigating this bureaucracy while exhausted with a newborn feels impossible, but reading these real success stories gives me hope that this can actually get resolved. I'll definitely update once I hear back! 🤞