By Rachel Kubicek

Globe columnist

Finally, the second trimester is under way and with it has come a bigger waistline. In fact, my belly is now protruding to the point where I am almost completely dependent on maternity clothes.

New maternity clothes, as it turns out, can be costly. I have found I can spend $200 and get five things or I can put my $200 to use on eBay and see where the bidding leads.

As it turns out, eBay is a jackpot for maternity clothes, many of which still have tags or are close to new. For only $24 I was able to purchase a box of almost 30 items, including shirts, jeans and pants where most were new. Granted, I only ended up liking about 10 items from the lot that fit properly, but I estimate that I would have spent at least $300 for this batch of 10 threads, according to the tags.

Another big addition to my wardrobe has been the rubber band. The rubber band is a necessity if you want to continue utilizing your current jeans or pants. It can be looped through the button hole and fastened around the button to hold the two together. Just make sure the rubber band is big enough or you will end up with a red mark on your belly when it snaps from the pressure.

Speaking of rubber bands, there is a trend right now in fashion accessories for pregnant women. It's called the Bella Band and it is a band of stretchy fabric, intended to be worn over the top of your pants to hold them together at the top. The Bella Band comes in a variety of colors, including a soft pink and a grass green that are fun for accenting your outfits. I fell instantly for the ad I came across in a pregnancy magazine and had to own one.

They are such a hot item in the world of pregnancy right now that eBay does not carry them at a discounted rate, so I ordered it new for $26 plus tax. It now sits in a drawer after a one-time wear because it felt a bit too much like it's name and squeezed like a big rubber band around my waist. Hopefully I can sell it on eBay to someone else who has my same impulsive fashion sense.

There really isn't much you can do about your growing abdomen. It is probably best to embrace the swelling and growing of each and every part of your body, some of which is good and some bad. I have found it best to try to control the things I can, such as deciding which workout DVDs and equipment to purchase after the baby is born.

The other day I saw an infomercial on a workout machine - the "something glide" - that promised to put post-pregnancy bodies into better shape than they were pre-baby. In only "minutes per day" you can become as svelte as a cougar and it also appears to tan your skin during the process.

Then there was another contraption that had even more convincing before-and-after pictures. It was an ab machine that seemed to give you an indentation in your stomach big enough to hold a bowling ball. Apparently, it also shrinks your internal organs.

If you have also been inspired by the many toning or aerobic devices advertised, I recommend researching them if you have an ounce of impulsive shopping tendencies like mine. That way you won't fall for the tempting forces of television or Internet advertising, or make impulse purchases difficult to turn down after hearing Melanie Griffith attest to their worth.

Address correspondence to Rachel Kubicek, c/o The Joplin Globe, P.O. Box 7, Joplin, Mo. 64802.