Rebajame, Pues!

I've never been very good at bargaining, whereas DH loves it. We were on Koh Samui in Thailand a few years ago and we kayaked to the "Big Buddha" (a random, gigantic statute out on a point) and DH didn't bring any shoes, and you needed shoes to get in. So we start wandering around the stalls in front of Big Buddha, and he chanced upon a store that happened to carry flip flops in size 12: a feat (no pun intended!) in itself, in Thailand. Anyway, DH started bargaining for them. I was imagining this darling little granny shrewdly calculating and thinking to herself, "This dumb, shoeless American is desperate for size 12s on a remote beach in Thailand. I'm getting top dollar." Instead, when he offered her a ridiculously low price and said with a charming grin, "Oh c'mon, I really want them," she batted her granny lashes at him and caved. Unbelievable.

Anyway, I don't have that magic touch. I started to learn the necessity of bargaining a little bit when we lived in Bolivia, because I started to actually know how much things should cost. For a discount, you just needed to tip your head back, look down your nose in pleading exasperation, and say "Rebajame, pues" (which roughly translates to "give me a discount, c'mon") and you'd usually end up with a shy giggle and a little reduction or an extra tomato.

What I've discovered is that you can apparently do a little bargaining in the world of infertility, too. I'm not sure to what extent I can take this, but I'm thinking I should push the envelope a little. You know, like "I already spent $100 on two pregnancy tests. Maybe now you can give me two for $50." Or maybe I should go even further: "Well, I hear some people get like 40 eggs. And I only have 12. So maybe you should give me a discount on the embryologist's fee. I'm subsidizing the overproducers here." It might not work, but I'm beginning to lose my pride, so it's worth a shot.

I guess the fertility clinic is like the little granny in Thailand, though. It's got all the cards. Hopefully, it will be as generous as she was.