Two helpful maneuvers for managing shoulder dystocia, a common cause of fetal injury, are not described in obstetrical texts. In the first, the shoulders are disimpacted by rocking them through the mother's abdominal wall, with the hope that they then will find a more favorable diameter for descent. The second maneuver, performed vaginally, aims at reducing the circumference and transverse diameter of the shoulders. Shoulder dimensions of new born infants placed in the posture imposed by the second maneuver were consistently smaller than those of infants in the position which results when traditional technique is employed.