If your stomach looks flat in the morning and you look months pregnant by mid-afternoon, you're not imagining it, and you're not alone. Bloating that builds soon after meals is one of the most common things people bring to me. Sometimes it's food sensitivities, sometimes it's stress, and sometimes it's bacterial overgrowth, often called SIBO. Testing is how we stop guessing.
This guide explains what SIBO is, why I use a stool test rather than a breath test, how the at-home kit works, and how I use your results to build a plan with you.
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Most of the bacteria in your gut are meant to live in the large intestine (the colon). The small intestine normally holds far fewer. SIBO, short for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, describes a situation where too many bacteria have settled in the small intestine, where your body is trying to digest and absorb food.
When those bacteria meet carbohydrates from your meals, they ferment them and produce gas. That gas is a big part of why people with overgrowth feel so uncomfortable after eating.
Overgrowth doesn't look the same in everyone, but these are the patterns I hear most often:
None of these symptoms belongs only to SIBO. They overlap with food intolerances, candida, parasites, a stressed gut lining, and more. That overlap is exactly why testing matters.
A lot of people come to me after months of cutting out foods, rotating supplements, and following whatever plan they found online. Some feel a little better. Many feel more confused. Without data, you can spend a lot of time and money supporting the wrong thing.
Knowing that bacteria are out of balance is only part of the answer. What I want to know is which bacteria, because that's what shapes the plan.
"The tests are an investment upfront, but they will give you an in-depth explanation of what is ACTUALLY going on inside of your body."
Kaolhi L., from a patient review on our homepage
You'll often see SIBO discussed alongside breath testing, where you drink a sugar solution and collect breath samples over a few hours. It's a common tool, and many practitioners use it. In my experience, though, breath testing leaves a lot of room for error. Results depend heavily on strict diet prep, timing, and how well each sample is collected, and the test measures gases rather than the bacteria themselves. For those reasons, I prefer stool testing in my practice.
I use the GI-MAP stool test from Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory. It uses DNA-based methods to identify specific bacterial strains in your sample, along with yeast, parasites, and markers of digestion and inflammation. Instead of a general "yes or no," it helps us see which strains may be behind your symptoms, and that's the information I build your plan around.
I've written more about the test itself in the power of the GI-MAP test. Here, I'll focus on how it fits into SIBO concerns.
Prep is simple:
Please don't stop any prescription medication without talking to your prescriber first.
We talk through your symptoms and goals and decide whether working together makes sense. No pressure, no obligation.
Visits run about an hour. I'll ask a lot of questions about your digestion, diet, history, stress, sleep, and medications, because the details matter. At this visit, we decide together which tests you actually need. Visits happen by telehealth for patients nationwide, and phone-only visits are fine if video isn't your thing. If you'd like to meet in person, our only clinic is in Waxahachie at 304 N College St, Waxahachie TX 75165.
Once your tests are ordered, a stool kit ships straight to your home. You collect the sample there and send it to the lab. All testing is done at home, so there's no lab visit to schedule. This works for patients of any age, including children.
We go through your results together, in plain language, alongside your symptoms. A number on a report only means something in the context of how you feel and what else is going on.
"Dr. Ward's knowledge of gut issues is truly amazing."
Charlotte, from our patient success stories
When your results show overgrowth, the first thing I look at is which bacterial strain appears to be driving it. That shapes everything that follows. Your plan is built around your results and may include:
If your results don't point to overgrowth, that's useful information too. It points us toward other areas to look, such as the gut lining, IBS-type patterns, or broader gut balance.
You don't need to live near the clinic to test. Your kit ships to your home wherever you are, and we review results by telehealth. If you're nearby and would rather meet in person, our Waxahachie clinic is the place for visits. Local patients often start with the gut support pages for their area:
Dr. Wards uses the GI-MAP stool test from Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory. It identifies specific bacterial strains in your sample, which helps her see which bacteria may be behind your symptoms and build your plan around them.
Breath testing can be less reliable because results depend heavily on strict prep, timing, and sample collection, and it measures gases rather than the bacteria themselves. A stool test like GI-MAP identifies the specific strains involved, which is the information Dr. Wards uses to tailor your plan.
Yes. All testing is done at home. After your first visit, a stool kit ships to your home, you collect the sample, and you send it to the lab. There's no in-person testing.
Pause probiotics, and any other supplements Dr. Wards directs, for 5 days before collecting your sample. Then follow the kit's collection instructions. Check with your prescriber before stopping any prescription medication.
Yes. The at-home stool kit works for patients of any age, including children.
No. Dr. Wards sees patients nationwide by telehealth, and phone-only visits are fine. In-person visits are available only at the Waxahachie clinic, 304 N College St, Waxahachie TX 75165.
If bloating and digestive discomfort have been running your days, let's find out what's behind it. Start with a free conversation.
Book your free 15-minute Health Strategy Call → · Call 512.328.0505