Nausea and Fatigue During Early Pregnancy

Nausea and fatigue are uncomfortable, sometimes almost debilitating, symptoms of pregnancy. Anecdotally, fatigue seems worse as nausea increases. This descriptive correlational study investigated the relationship between nausea and fatigue during early pregnancy. Fifty-one women who received prenatal care at two obstetrics and gynecology nurse-midwifery practices in a large metropolitan area participated. Each women completed a nausea questionnaire, the Pearson-Byars fatigue feeling checklist, and a demographic data sheet at her first or second prenatal visit. Participants were at less than 17 weeks' gestation; 43 percent were pregnant for the first time, and 48 percent reported nausea at the time they completed the questionnaire. Women with severe nausea had higher levels of fatigue than those with no or mild and moderate nausea. Severity of nausea and level of fatigue were positively correlated, indicating that as nausea increased so did the severity of fatigue.