Bob and Rachel, both mid-twenties and married for four years, had been trying without success for two years for a baby to start their family. Bob decided to take the problem to his doctor to see if he could tell him why they'd been unsuccessful so far. The doctor suggested that Bob should get his sperm count checked. The results of the check showed that his viable sperm count was very low, and although it was possible, it was highly unlikely that he would ever be able to father a child.
The doctor suggested that Bob and Rachel consider IVF treatment, using her egg and sperm from a donor. This treatment could be had on the National Health Service but only for a limited number of attempts, after which only expensive private treatment would be available.
The couple considered IVF treatment but were basically not happy about their child being conceived in the clinical environment of a test tube or similar. The additional problem was that if the limited number of tries under the NHS were unsuccessful, they wouldn't be able to afford the private treatment to continue trying to conceive, and all of that with no guarantee of success.
Eventually, a frustrated Bob suggested to his wife that they find a sperm donor to get her pregnant by the natural method of insemination through intercourse.
Rachel wasn't at all happy about this suggestion. It would mean that she'd have to have sex with someone other than her husband, probably a complete stranger, and how would they find a suitable donor anyway. How could they be sure that the child would be healthy, without any genetic problems, unless extensive checks could be made into the donor's background?
Furthermore, although she desperately wanted a baby, they both did, she worried about what Bob would think of her after she'd been impregnated by another man during sex.
They talked about it many times. Rachel said that however desperately she wanted children, she also wanted them to carry her husband's genes as well as her own, a stranger's sperm couldn't do this, he would pass on his own genes.
Bob thought long and hard about the problem for some weeks, then he told Rachel that a solution to their problem would be for his father, Jerry, to get her pregnant. Jerry's sperm must be viable, he and Bob's mother, Louise, had created Bob so that shouldn't be a problem. His dad was only forty-nine, so he should be quite capable of fathering another child. The genes in Bob had come from Jerry and Louise so the family genes would be passed onto Rachel's baby by Jerry.
At first Rachel was shocked by this suggestion, but the more she thought about it, the more it seemed like a solution to their problem. Her father in law's genes were in her husband, so a baby fathered by him would carry similar genes. It really could be the answer they were looking for, but the method of conception still seemed to her to be repugnant. However, after much discussion, Bob eventually persuaded Rachel that they should talk to Jerry and Louise about it.
Bob and Rachel invited Bob's parents to dinner one Friday evening, telling them that they wanted to run an important proposal by them after they'd eaten.
Bobs parents, Jerry and Louise, were intrigued and eager to hear what their son and daughter in law wanted to discuss, but the younger couple were adamant that they wouldn't discuss anything until the meal was over. It was obvious to Jerry and Louise that it was something important as Bob and Rachel were very nervous and distracted during dinner. Whatever the subject to be discussed was, it was obviously very important to them and was making them very nervous.
Dinner seemed to drag on, Rachel was a good cook but her culinary efforts were wasted this time, there was too much tension in the air and even a couple of bottles of Jerry and Louise's favourite wines did little to relieve the tension.
At last the meal was completed and the dishes were cleared away. Taking their coffee into the lounge the two couples had made themselves comfortable in the easy chairs and on the couch.
"Now then," Jerry said, looking at his son, "what's this all about, the tension is giving me indigestion. Out with it you two."
Bob cleared his throat. "Well dad, and you to mum, you know that Rachel and I have been trying for some time to start a family, but without success. We've seen our doctor and I've had tests, and it seems that my sperm count is so low that it's unlikely that I'll ever be able to get Rachel pregnant. IVF treatment has been suggested, but there's no guarantee that Rachel would get pregnant within the limited opportunities offered by the NHS, and we wouldn't be able to afford private IVF treatment."
"In view of this situation, I've suggested to Rachel that we could find a man to be a sperm donor and get Rachel pregnant the natural way, by him having sex with her." At this statement there had been a sharp intake of breath from Louise, while Jerry had just sat with his mouth open.
Jerry had been the first to speak. "But surely you can't be serious about letting another man be intimate with Rachel. And surely Rachel wouldn't agree to being 'serviced' by a stud, because that's what you are suggesting."
Rachel had begun to cry at this point, but Bob had continued, "Dad, I know what you mean, but Rachel and I have talked about it for hours, and we can't find another satisfactory answer. Before you say anything else, please let me finish what I was saying."
"As I said, Rachel and I have talked, discussed, argued, call it what you like, and we don't see another way for us to get the family we want. On top of the things that you've said there is also another problem, and that is that Rachel doesn't want our child to have a stranger's genes. She, rightly, wants our child to have a combination of her genes and mine, but we can't do that ourselves as I've told you. So, the alternative that I've suggested, and that she agrees with, would be for you to make her pregnant. That way the child would have the family genes."
Jerry had sat rigid for a moment with his mouth open. "How could you even suggest such a thing," he'd burst out, "that would be incest. No, never, there has to be another way."
Then, before anyone else could speak, Louise had said in a quiet voice. "Be quiet Jerry, it could be the answer. It wouldn't be incest because Rachel is not a blood relative. It might be immoral, but it would be in a good cause. Jerry, you know that you and I are as desperate for a grandchild as Bob and Rachel are for a son or daughter, and it's probably our fault in a way that Bob's reproductive system isn't up to scratch. I think we should discuss the suggestion sensibly and find the least embarrassing way to do it."
With that Louise had gone to Rachel and given her a hug. "Don't be upset love, "she'd said, "We'll do anything we can to help you. Jerry will need to be tested to make sure his sperm are still up to fertilising your egg, but he'll do it, don't you worry."
"Now, we'll also need to sort out the procedure," she'd continued. "It will obviously be a bit different to the way that Bob would have got you pregnant. Jerry will not be making love to you; in effect his penis will be a big hypodermic needle injecting sperm deep into your vagina. That's the way we must all view it. Now, what we need is a plan"
"You'll just have to know that you are in a fertile period, then prepare yourself to receive his sperm, and to keep as much of it inside you as you can, so that it gets access to your cervix. I suggest that the method with the minimum amount of embarrassment would be for you to bend over a chair or something and Jerry could enter you from behind. Then once you've received his load you must lie down with your hips elevated for a few minutes, to let gravity help the process. When is your next fertile period?"
"Well," an encouraged Rachel had said, with a shaky smile. "I'm fertile now, so for a few days and then in a month's time."
"OK," Louise had said, "Jerry, you've just enjoyed a lovely meal that Rachel has cooked for you, time to repay the complement. Take her to the bedroom and do what I've just said, the sooner you start the process the sooner you can get her pregnant. You can get tested later we don't want to waste this opportunity, do we?"
Bob and Rachel had both looked at Jerry, who was still open mouthed, and now was red faced with embarrassment as well.
"Well, it seems that this is what everyone wants", he'd said. "Rachel, do you really want to do this now?"
Rachel had looked at Bob, who'd nodded, then at Louise who'd smiled and said, "Go on Rachel, this is what you want, isn't it?"
Rachel had blushed to her roots, she'd stood up and looking her father-in-law in the eyes had said in a low voice, "Yes, Jerry. This is what me and Bob want." Then she'd held out her hand to him, had taken his hand in hers and led him out of the room.
Bob had looked at his mother and had gone to say something. "No, don't say anything, Bob," she'd said. "Just get me a drink, please. And I don't want a glass of wine, I need something stronger, whisky or brandy and make it a large one."
Bob had poured two large measures of whisky, then returned with them to sit on the couch with his mother. "You do realise I hope," Louise had said, "That your dad may not get Rachel pregnant quickly, it often takes quite a few tries, there's an element of luck in it."
"Yes, I know," Bob had replied, "I just hope it will happen quickly though, but I know the odds are against it. I suppose dad and Rachel will need to keep doing it whenever she is in a fertile period until it happens, which will mean him coming here on every one of those nights."
"Yes, that's right," Louise had said, "Rachel will have to tell us when it's the right time and your dad will have to come over after tea on weekdays. If the days include weekends he can come over during the day if it's more convenient."
Bob swallowed some whisky. "Mum," he'd said, "I'm going to find this very embarrassing every time dad comes over to 'do it' with Rachel. I'd rather not be here, can I come over to your house when they need to be together,"