Meaning
The father of a woman's child or children — particularly one she is no longer with romantically. The term marks the shared-parent bond rather than a present relationship, so 'mi baby fadda' names the man she has a child with, whatever their standing now, distinct from a 'husband' or 'boyfriend'. It runs through the frank Jamaican talk of family and romance, naming the ongoing tie of co-parenthood that outlasts a love affair, for good or ill, and the whole reality of raising children across a split.
Examples
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Mi baby fadda nah pay no maintenance fi di pickney dem.
My baby father isn't paying any maintenance for the children.
'pickney dem' pluralises 'pickney' with 'dem'.
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She and har baby fadda still cool wid each other.
She and her baby father are still on good terms with each other.
'cool wid' means on friendly terms.
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Di baby fadda come check di baby every weekend.
The baby father comes to see the baby every weekend.
'check' here means to visit.
Origin
A calque from English 'baby's father', common throughout the Caribbean, with the possessive 's' omitted following Patois grammatical patterns.
How it’s used
Used in everyday conversation about family arrangements. Neutral in most contexts but can imply an absent or non-committal father depending on tone.