Fertility Answers

01/10/2026

IVF builds families. First introduced in the U.S. in the 1980s, IVF helps many couples conceive and create a family who otherwise would not be able to. In infertile couples where women have blocked or absent fallopian tubes, or where men have low s***m counts, in vitro fertilization (IVF) offers a chance at parenthood to couples who until recently would have had no hope of having a biological child.

01/09/2026

We are so excited to welcome little Miss Meredith!! She finally made Foster an official “Big Brother”😍

This beautiful girl was born this week to Fertility Answers Lafayette teammate Alaina and her husband Nick. “We are so in love with her! 😊! A big thank you to Dr. Storment and to all who helped make this little miracle possible!”

01/08/2026

Are you worried about your fertility and if you will be able to get pregnant? While most couples have no problems with having children, we see many who struggle in this regard. But there are some important fertility tests you can do now to give you peace of mind or give you a head start on fixing any problems.

👉 Click the link below to learn which fertility tests you can do now.

Learn about the most important fertility tests you can do now to detect fertility issues preventing pregnancy.

01/07/2026

Dr. Storment breaks down fertility diet myths - pomegranate, pineapple core, caffeine, soy, certain fish!

01/06/2026

01/06/2026

It’s National Technology Day, a day that recognizes the advancements in technology that have shaped the modern world. Today, technology touches almost every aspect of our daily life. The first pocket-sized calculator became available in the 1970s. Today, the smart devices we carry can do everything from banking to testing our heart rates.

We’re going to go beyond calculators and smart devices here, though, to focus on the technology that has made IVF possible.

IVF is a common fertility procedure these days. We bet you know several friends and even family members who have used it to build their families. However, the testing and technology that paved the way to IVF today started over a century ago.

It started in the 1920s when pioneering medical researchers identified the female hormones estrogen and progesterone and the roles they played in fertility. Two decades later, researchers used these hormones to manipulate fertility cycles in animals.

While the first successful IVF treatment in animals was performed in 1959, it would take some time before IVF was viable in humans. Many researchers around the world were experimenting, but all attempts failed until Dr. Patrick Steptoe and Dr. Robert Edwards and their talented embryologist Jean Purdy (yes, a woman!) successfully performed the procedure in England, resulting in the birth of Louise Brown on July 25, 1978. (Louise will celebrate her 48th birthday this year!)

Over the next several decades, improvements in medical equipment and refinements in IVF techniques would continue to increase the success of IVF as a fertility treatment. Almost 50 years after Louise was born, there are now over 12 million people in the world born through the technology of IVF.

New techniques are continually being researched and developed for IVF, including embryo genetic testing and using artificial intelligence to improve fertilization, implantation and birth rates. We can’t wait to see what the future holds for IVF technology!

01/05/2026

Dr. Storment had a sweet visitor recently when baby Everly Jewel stopped by! We 🩷 meeting our babies!

01/04/2026

Dr. James Zehnder, 1941-2026

The Lafayette community has lost a long-time and beloved physician in women’s health with the passing of Dr. James Zehnder, affectionately known by his peers as simply “Z.”

One of the founding physicians of Women’s & Children’s Hospital and Fertility Answers, Dr. Zehnder practiced obstetrics and gynecology in the Lafayette community for nearly 45 years.

Dr. Zehnder graduated from LSU Medical School in New Orleans in 1967, served his country as a flight surgeon during the Vietnam War, then returned to Louisiana to complete his training in ObGyn at Charity Hospital. In 1974, he decided Lafayette would be his home joining Hamilton Medical Group and later Acadiana Women’s Health Group. In 1999, Dr. Zehnder and his long-time partner Dr. William Pelletier (who passed away in 2021) joined with Dr. John Storment, a new reproductive endocrinologist, to create a full-service gynecology and infertility practice, Fertility Answers.

A message from Dr. Storment:

I want to take a moment to honor the life of Dr. Jim Zehnder, affectionately known to all of us as “Dr. Z.”

I joined Z—and his partner, Dr. P—in 1999. By then, both had stepped away from obstetrics to focus entirely on gynecology and infertility, making it a perfect fit for me. Shortly after I began practice, my father passed away, and in many ways, Z became a surrogate father and a dear friend.

He taught me more than medicine. He showed me how sacred the trust is between a patient and her doctor—and how that trust is earned, protected, and never taken lightly. Some of my favorite memories are the quiet ones: a 5 p.m. Coors Light after hours, talking about medicine, LSU football, faith, and family.

Z’s devotion to his one great love, Rosie, was surpassed only by his devotion to God and his church. His children—Jimmy, Todd, and Tiffany—and their families have lost an extraordinary father and grandfather. We have lost a mentor, a friend, and a truly good man. Goodbye Z! We love you.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1:00 PM on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at Holy Cross Catholic Church. Contributions can be made in his memory to Hospice of Acadiana.

John Storment

01/02/2026

It's a new year and time to reset!

This reset can apply not only to your physical body, but your psychological one too.

Before getting pregnant there are some major changes that need to take place in order to get your body into shape for a baby. Your mental health is also important, as stress can often have negative effects on treatment. Getting pregnant can be a tricky thing, but it is easier if you are able to follow a few of these fertility-friendly resolutions to set you up for success!

👉 Click the link below for our list of 8 fertility-friendly resolutions you can make to start the new year off in the right direction.

There's no better time than now for getting your mind and body ready for a baby with our fertility-friendly resolutions.

01/01/2026

12/31/2025

Well, that's a wrap!

Oh, what a wonderful year it has been! Thank you for helping us make 2025 the best year ever! 🎉