Steve Blount, special for USA TODAY

Having a baby is transformational; once you go into that tunnel, you emerge a different person. That’s one reason babymoons, a trip in the last months of pregnancy, have become popular. They give couples a timeout to celebrate and to mark the passage from who they were to who they’re going to be — individually and together.

Resorts in the Caribbean and elsewhere have jumped on the babymoon bandwagon with packages playing up pampering for the pregnant; many offerings boil down to a massage and a welcome basket, though some do offer special nutritional or fitness components.

Evaluating a resort as a babymoon destination requires looking beyond the packaging. Your first concern is safety, then comfort and after that activities, atmosphere and service.

Safety: How far from home do you want to be should something go wrong? Direct flights and shorter flights make the most sense. There are some lovely places to babymoon down at the south end of the Antilles, but if you have to spend 8 to 12 hours in transit, changing planes once or even twice, you’re a long way from your own doctor if you need to return home urgently. Look at the frequency of flights, too. Some islands are served by flights only on certain days of the week while others have nonstops from major U.S. cities every day. There’s also a question of medical care; generally, large islands have more resources than small ones. Having a short flight back home is good, but having advanced medical facilities on island is better.

Comfort: This also argues for shorter and fewer flights; how comfortable are you going to be on a long flight? Once you arrive in the destination, how far is the resort from the airport? And how are the roads? A 90-minute trek over a goat path might be a little tough to stomach. Are there steps involved in getting to your room or getting from your room to the beach, restaurant or pool? What’s easy when you’re not pregnant may be challenging when you’re walking for two.

PUERTO RICO: Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Beach Resort & Spa

This island ticks a lot of the boxes as a babymoon destination. San Juan is the hub for much of the Caribbean, with daily nonstops from major cities on the East Coast and elsewhere. It’s a U.S. territory and there’s excellent medical care available on-island. There are also some superb resorts, including the Wyndham Grand Rio Mar — about a half-hour from the San Juan airport on good roads.

The resort sits on nearly a square mile of beachfront between the city and El Yunque, the rainforest that’s part of the U.S. National Forest System. There are two well-regarded golf courses on site, along with a Mandara Spa, tennis courts and restaurants.

While you’d never have to leave the grounds, it’s very easy to venture out and experience more of the island. Historic Old San Juan, with its shopping and restaurants, is less than an hour away, and El Yunque less than a half hour. The rainforest has some moderate hikes that lead you through lush foliage to waterfalls. The 7,000-square-foot Mandara Spa should be able to bring some peace and tranquility to your stay, as will lounging by the pool or on the quiet beachfront. riomar.com

JAMAICA: Jamaica Inn

One of the grande dames of the Caribbean hotel trade, the Jamaica Inn has maintained its standing as a luxury resort for more than 60 years. There are only 48 suites and cottages — trimmed in white and blue — nestled beside a sandy beach on the eastern outskirts of Ocho Rios.

The Inn’s specialty is the old-style Caribbean elegance; not glitzy, not over-the-top, just quiet, exceptional service. You won’t find a scene from Jersey Shore at the beach; there’s no row of jetskis revving up for another run.

You can take breakfast on your own verandah or at the open-air seaside café. Loll by the pool and then book in for a couples massage at the spa overlooking the ocean.

This may be the last time you fully relax for the next 18 years, so drink in the serenity. You’re going to need it. jamaicainn.com

THE BAHAMAS: One&Only Ocean Club

The One&Only Ocean Club on Nassau’s Paradise Island is part of the Atlantis complex, but it’s worlds apart in attitude. No Las Vegas-style disco, no water slides, no casino. It’s been the better half of this duo property since long before the current Atlantis was built.

This was one of James Bond’s favorite haunts (it’s appeared in several of the movies) and even non-fictional celebrities come calling.

The grounds are spacious and well-landscaped, highlighted by formal gardens and the reconstructed ruins of a 14th-century Augustinian cloisters. The ruins were removed from France in the 1920s at the behest of William Randolph Hearst, but were never reassembled. They were bought by Huntington Hartford, heir to the A&P Supermarket fortune to spruce up his recent purchase, Hog Island. Hartford cleverly renamed the island Paradise Island before beginning development.

The One&Only Ocean Club is not a discount destination; it has standards to uphold, and one of them is as a place of refuge for the moneyed class — something it does quite well.

Having said that, the service and atmosphere live up to those standards as well. Especially if you’re not at your most mobile, it’s a good choice. There are short, direct flights to Nassau from most major East Coast cities. And you won’t need to do much walking at the Club. You’ll have a butler who’ll fetch anything you need or want.

If you want to get a little active, there’s a stellar 18-hole golf course, designed by PGA champion Tom Weiskopf, that winds along the waterfront.

You won’t go hungry either. Superstar chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten presides over Dune, one of the best restaurants in the Caribbean.

Both the Hartford and Crescent wings of the resort are two stories, so you may want to request a ground-floor room when you book. oceanclub.oneandonlyresorts.com

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC: Casa Colonial Beach & Spa

Puerto Plata on the north coast of the Dominican Republic is an easy flight from many cities on the East and Gulf Coasts. It’s also a complete playground with everything from mountain biking, surfing and climbing to more subdued sports like golf, shopping and spas.

The area is best known for its mega all-inclusive complexes, but there are alternatives. Casa Colonial is an intimate boutique hotel right on Playa Dorada. There are just 50 suites here, housed in an elegant building finished with marble. There’s a rooftop pool with a killer view of the ocean along with the expected high-end spa where you can get a Togetherness treatment for two.

The resort’s signature restaurant, Lucia, serves international cuisine with a little Caribbean twist. If you book the honeymoon package, you will have dinner from Lucia at a table on the beach. www.casacolonialhotel.com

MEXICO: Royal Hideaway Playacar

For those who live west of the Mississippi, Mexico is closer than the eastern Caribbean. The Royal Hideaway Playacar is an adults-only all-inclusive just outside of Playa del Carmen, an hour south of Cancún.

The Royal Hideaway is not the most elegant hotel in PDC and the rates reflect that; it’s often available on sale at a very good price. Instead of a room, you can book a villa and give yourself extra elbow room.

The restaurants are good, especially the AAA 4 Diamond Japanese/Thai offering Azia and there’s a chef’s table experience avaiklable. There are stage productions in the Royal Theater and possibly the best beach in the area. www.occidentalhotels.com/resort/royal-hideaway-playacar

Steve Blount is the former editor of Caribbean Travel & Life, Florida Travel & Life and Adventure Travel magazines.

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